New Divide
by StarLightMaker17
Summary: Takes place after Glory for Sleep's 'Exile'. Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash must work together to stop Terotrey and save the world once more. New faces star in this story. RaikouXSuicune, DarkraiXCresselia, ArceusXOCXTerotrey, OCXOC, and MewtwoXDeoxys.
1. Chapter 1: Memories

****Ok, guys. I'm really sorry about deleting this story, but it has to be done. There's too much replanning that I need to work on and it's overwhelming. But if I am to continue with this story, then I need a lot more support in the vote to update more often in my poll on my profile. One vote isn't going to cut it. If you want more chapters, then I need to see how much. Voting is available to everyone. Please at least give a vote to this story if you really want it to be updated. Otherwise I'll be working on pics for my stories in my Deviantart account. GFS, sorry about doin this. But i promise that I'll finish the story in time.****

**New Divide**

**Chapter 1: Memories**

The Legendary trio runs towards the destination that Arceus has assigned them to. According to the God Pokémon, it is a new small island off the coast of Cinnabar Island. Since Arceus has no idea of what lies ahead, he decides to have Raikou, Suicune, and Entei scout the area together and have them report to him as soon as possible.

Raikou, Suicune, and Entei expertly jump from cliff to cliff. Raikou leads the other two Legendaries as he narrows his eyes to avoid letting the dirt blow through his eyes. If he loses his focus, then he could surly fall in the mountains.

The Pokémon run through the Silver Mountains quickly. But since it is snowing at this time of evening, the weather slows them down a little. It didn't help Suicune at all since she is a water type. Her hydrophilic body can easily freeze especially since Suicune has very short fur on her body.

Raikou decides to stop in a cave. He shakes the snow off his fur as he watches Entei enter the cave tiredly. The Legendary cats exchange nods before Entei disappears into the darkness.

Raikou turns to the freezing Suicune. The water dog looks at Raikou with a red nose and a trembling body. Raikou hides the urge to laugh at his girlfriend for the sake of being polite and not wanting to be hit by his counterpart.

"Are you okay?" Raikou asks softly as he walks over to Suicune.

"I-I'll live, R-Raikou…" Suicune stammers. Raikou leads his counterpart into the cave and supports her body with warmth as they walk in side by side.

"T-Thanks…" Suicune murmurs with a smile. Raikou returns the smile and licks his girlfriend's cheek. He nuzzles her affectionately and purrs.

"Any time, sweetheart." He teases Suicune. Suicune snaps her eyes up to glare at her boyfriend.

"You know that I hate that pet name…" Suicune grumbles. "If there are a few things that I do not like to be referred to or called, they're 'sweetheart', 'sugarplum', or 'sweetie'." Suicune shudders at the thought of the nicknames.

"As you wish… Sweetie." Raikou smirks.

Suicune growls in frustration. Then she has an idea. She smiles briefly as they continue to walk ahead. Then she stomps hard on Raikou's front paw.

"OW!" Raikou whines. He sits back and massages his aching foot as tears bridge his eyes.

'_Now I know why Cresselia likes to hit Darkrai so much.'_ Suicune muses as she smirks at her boyfriend. "Call me that again and I will give you worse than that."

Raikou grumbles as he licks his paw. "All right, Suicune. I'll stop."

"Good." Both the Pokémon continue to walk side by side (Raikou keeps a small distance away from Suicune) until they meet Entei. The fire lion has started a campfire and is resting in front of it. '_And after I have been so nice to Suicune…'_ Raikou thinks to himself as he pouts and rests between Suicune and Entei.

"All right, kids. Enough horseplay," Entei says as he gives the Legendaries a stern and amused look. "I know that you two love each other, but please remember that we are on a mission and we need to complete it together."

"You're right. We're sorry, Entei," Suicune replies. She nudges her boyfriend. "Aren't we, Raikou?"

"Huh?" Raikou is still licking his sore paw until Suicune nudges him. "Oh, yeah. Sorry." He mumbles. Suicune rolls her eyes.

"We need to get some rest," Entei says. "So we'll stay put here for the night." Raikou and Suicune nod in agreement. Suicune seems pleased by the idea; her entire body is shaking because she is so cold.

"Suicune," Entei notices how much Suicune is shivering and grows concerned. "Come between me and Raikou so that way you can thaw out faster."

Suicune nods and she walks around Raikou to rest between her counterparts. The Legendary cats scoot closer to the water dog and provide her warmth. Suicune smiles as she relaxes and closes her eyes in content. Soon she falls into a peaceful slumber.

Raikou and Entei watch their dog counterpart fall asleep. They then look at each other. "Raikou, we should go to sleep as well. We will need to be at the island by tomorrow." Entei says. The thunder tiger nods in acknowledgment. Then Entei lowers his head and turns away to fall asleep. His quiet snores echo the cave as Raikou watches him and Suicune sleep.

As Raikou looks at his friends, he smiles when he remembers what has happened approximately a month ago. He has taken his job as a Legendary much more seriously and he helps his fellow Legendaries if it was needed.

About a month ago, a man named Terotrey Horrifiance has nearly taken over the world. He has tried to kill Raikou and the other Legendaries. Fortunately, both Raikou and Darkrai are able to defeat the tyrant.

But before all this had happened, Raikou was trailed for the death of innocent Pokémon. The punishment was exile from the Legendary Council. Darkrai has generously offered Raikou to stay in his home on New Moon Island. Not too long after, Suicune confronts Raikou with a newsflash about there being a possibility of Raikou regaining his Legendary status. Even though it is risky for Suicune to talk to an exile, she stays overnight and explores the island with Raikou. But suddenly the island is invaded by robotic Pokémon who have successfully captured Darkrai and Cresselia. Fortunately, Mewtwo was there to save Raikou and Suicune from a similar fate.

It turns out that Mewtwo has been looking for help to stop the robotic Pokémon. After Raikou wakes up, he meets Jeff the Roselia, Skyler the Flygon, and Mewtwo officially. Jeff and Skyler are two wisecracking best friends that have offered to join the army to stop the robots. Soon the heroes go through a misadventure involving two quarrelling clans that end up joining the army after a series of misunderstandings. But during the process, the heroes have lost Suicune to the robots. Raikou has grown quite depressed over this fact for a little while.

Then Raikou, Jeff, Skyler, Mewtwo and the new recruit Deoxys decide to look for the Rocket base supposedly hidden deep in Mt. Coronet. Then they have encountered more robots until a Lucario named Drendan and Legendary exile Heatran comes to the rescue. The heroes rest in a secret cave overnight while Heatran explains the reasons for his exile. Then he states that the heroes' theory about a Rocket base being hidden in the mountains is true. The heroes are horrified because they realize that a possible war will erupt sooner than they have thought.

In the morning, the clan leaders Atsila and Bouldarin arrive with battle ready Pokémon. The army was given well blessings before the Pokémon march towards the located Rocket base. They are determined to free the Legendaries and keep their world safe.

During the battle, Raikou had snuck into the base to find the Legendaries. He finds them all unconscious in cages. Then he confronts Terotrey in the same room and realizes that the man has stolen the Legendaries' essences. Terotrey sneers about how the Legendaries balance life before he transforms into a horrifying beast through the Legendaries' essences trapped in his powerful machine.

Raikou and his allies evacuate from the base with the Legendaries as fast as they could. The tiger started to lose hope before he has an idea of how to stop Terotrey; through the robots. His allies reluctantly agree to help while Terotrey is distracted by the army. Raikou reaches to the control room and figures out the password before Terotrey could kill the heroes. Soon the robots start to maliciously attack their creator. Their attempts manage to free Darkrai's essence and Terotrey flees for his life.

The dark Legendary greets Raikou and the tiger explains everything that has happened. Darkrai and Raikou argue bitterly about if Terotrey is defeated until Jeff mentions that the ground is shaking. Then the heroes see that Terotrey is still alive and try to flee. Unfortunately, Terotrey catches Darkrai and Raikou and they are warped to a different dimension.

Raikou and Darkrai have done all of their best to avoid getting killed by the dark being. Darkrai was at the point of death so Raikou had to take things into his own paws. Raikou manages to trick Terotrey into a trap. As Terotrey seemingly disappears, all of the Legendaries' essences are free and Raikou goes through a portal created with an unconscious Darkrai on his back.

The two Pokémon return to the battlefield and they are reunited with their allies. Raikou then realizes that Arceus is still with Terotrey. Then Terotrey returns and shoots a beam at the heroes. Fortunately, the revived Palkia blocks the attack and the other Legendaries use their own powers to make the beam backfire. The result makes Terotrey disappear instantly. Raikou faints due to stress and all he remembers is seeing a bright light.

When Raikou wakes up, he reunites with Suicune. Then they enter the Hall of Legends and see all of the Legendaries and Raikou's army congratulating the tiger. Raikou gives a mature speech about how normal it is to make mistakes and that the best thing to do is consider forgiveness. Arceus is surprised by this speech, but he agrees wholeheartedly. Then after a vote, Arceus gives Raikou back his status as a Legendary.

Then the Pokémon begin to part their ways as they celebrate their victory. Some have taken Raikou's advice by heart. Since that day, Raikou has taken his job a bit more seriously.

Raikou sighs as he remembers everything that has changed him for the better. He smiles when he thinks about his friends.

Jeff and Skyler are like brothers to Raikou. They always have an optimistic view of things even in the hardest times. They are funny and considerate even though they are sometimes oblivious to some situations. They are loyal and Raikou knows that they would never turn their backs on him no matter what he does. They have hearts of gold and they are really fun to hang out with.

Mewtwo and Deoxys are very good acquaintances if not friends. They sometimes start a conversation but they are mostly silent. Mewtwo is somewhat naïve while Deoxys acts like a tomboy. The manmade Pokémon is stern but he does show some emotion, especially when he is around the space virus Pokémon. Raikou smiles at the thought. Deoxys is good for Mewtwo even though she doesn't realize it. Besides, Mewtwo needs _someone_ to look out for his big jug-like head.

Atsila and Bouldarin are good advisors and allies. It is still shocking to know that they are brothers, but their similar traits start to make sense somewhat. They have agreed to put aside their differences after they have settled their feud and their tribes peacefully communicate with each other. Raikou has heard rumors about Atsila's son Flame and his soldier Shadow starting to date. He smiles at the thought of how cute they are together. The Charmeleon and Absol enjoy each other's company and they still occasionally tease each other as often as Raikou and Suicune do each other.

Heatran is like an uncle to Raikou. He always helps Raikou whenever he is confused or when Entei is busy. Raikou would always visit the old coot and Drendan every other day to catch up on some things. Drendan hasn't changed much; he still patrols around Team Rocket to make sure that the humans aren't causing havoc. But based on the battle aftermaths, the evil organization isn't going to plan to do anything for a long time.

Darkrai is Raikou's best friend. Even though they are different, that doesn't change anything. Raikou would occasionally visit Darkrai out of boredom or for the sake of annoying the phantom just by being on his homeland. This would usually set the phantom off, but Cresselia would always scold Darkrai or smack him because of his hostility. But this doesn't stop the phantom from sending the thunder tiger nightmares as payback. Not wanting any more torture, Raikou decides to stop visiting Darkrai and settle with talking to the ghost in the Hall of Legends. Raikou is eternally grateful for Darkrai for all that he has done. Darkrai is grateful for Raikou for saving him from Terotrey. Now the Pokémon's debts are even and they have become close friends.

Entei is the father that Raikou has always wanted. Entei has helped Raikou look at things in a different point of view. He is caring and wise even at gloomy moments. It usually helps Raikou gain more optimistic views about things. If it weren't for Entei, Raikou would never have gotten this far into his job and he is grateful for Entei.

Suicune… Well… Suicune is everything to Raikou. Raikou looks at his girlfriend and nuzzles her cheek lovingly. Despite that Suicune can be frustrating to figure out sometimes, she is elegant, smart, and fun to be with. Raikou and Suicune argue sometimes, but they are definitely crazy about each other.

Raikou smiles and sighs happily. He has good friends, allies, and a family to call his own. Raikou's smile suddenly turns into a confused frown as he looks down. He feels like there is something that he should know about but he can't point it out. This feeling has been bugging him ever since he has been reinstated as a Legendary.

Raikou scolds himself for being paranoid. He tells himself that confronting Terotrey has been the scariest moment in his life and it has given him nightmares sometimes. But it's over now. The world is safe and Raikou needs to focus on his job, his life, and his future.

Raikou shakes his head before he rests against Suicune's fur. Raikou closes his eyes as he tries to force himself to sleep but has little success. Then Raikou decides to count imaginary Mareep to pass by the time. The theory actually works; by the fifteenth Mareep, Raikou falls into a peaceful slumber.

-ooo-

"Hey… Rai?"

Darkrai opens his eyes and looks at Cresselia. The metallic swan gracefully floats over to Darkrai with a soft smile on her face. Darkrai's questioning look softens as he floats up and kisses his girlfriend. Cresselia returns the kiss and nuzzles against her boyfriend's neck.

"What's wrong, Hon?" Darkrai asks.

Cresselia doesn't mind the pet name. She looks at her boyfriend's sea green eyes and says, "Nothing, Love. I just wanted to check up on you." She smiles. Darkrai's heart melts when he sees that adorable smile on his girlfriend's face. He smiles back.

"Missing me, were you? I've only been gone for ten minutes tops!" Darkrai chuckles. He sits against a tree as Cresselia positions herself next to him.

"As if I could stand to be away from you for that long?" Cresselia laughs. "As if!"

Darkrai chuckles again as he wraps an arm around Cresselia's neck. The couple gazes at the sunset over the horizon. The dream Legendaries have decided to take refuge in a deserted island off the coast of the Whirlpool Islands for at least one night. They enjoy the tranquility together until Cresselia decides to bring up a conversation.

"So how do you think that the island has been formed?"

Darkrai blinks. He looks down before looking back up at his girlfriend with a raised brow. "I really don't know. Groudon is responsible for forming new islands and he doesn't even know what's going on." He shrugs cluelessly.

Cresselia sighs as she looks at the sunset thoughtfully. "I'm surprised that Arceus has assigned us to explore it. He would usually have Raikou, Entei, and Suicune do the explorations." She muses.

Darkrai nods in agreement. "I know, but we can't argue with Arceus. What he says goes." Darkrai squeezes Cresselia affectionately. Cresselia smiles and nuzzles her face against Darkrai's neck before she kisses it. Darkrai couldn't hide the approving moan as he closes his eyes.

Cresselia chuckles when she hears Darkrai. "You like it?" She smiles. Darkrai opens his eyes and gazes lovingly at his mate. He whispers, "Yes. I'll go as far as you want to go, Dear."

Cresselia smiles again and resumes kissing Darkrai's neck. She giggles when she feels Darkrai heating up. She lowers Darkrai down onto the soft moist grass until she rests on top of him. Darkrai looks up affectionately at Cresselia.

"I love you, Darkrai," Cresselia whispers as she brings her face close to Darkrai. Darkrai smiles as he whispers, "I love you too, Cresselia." The phantom places his hands on Cresselia's cheeks before he pulls her down into a passionate kiss. He caresses Cresselia's cheeks as he deepens the kiss.

Night takes over and that is where it takes them… All of them.

-ooo-

Ash, Pikachu, Dawn, and Brock sit on the couch inside the Ketchum residence. The humans are in their PJ's and are about to go to bed.

"That battle against Dawn and Piplup was great…" Ash murmurs to Pikachu. The yellow mouse nods in agreement. Dawn and Ash have done a practice battle using their best Pokémon. The battle has lasted for about twenty minutes and neither of the Pokémon has shown any sign of giving up. Brock decides to call it a tie since it is getting dark. The heroes agree and stay at Mrs. Ketchum's house for the night so they could catch up with seeing their other Pokémon.

"We should get some rest, guys." Ash looks at Dawn and Brock. "I'm gonna turn in for the night. Good night, everyone." Ash looks at all the Pokémon and the humans before he nods. Then he turns to the stairs and heads up to his room.

"He's right." Dawn yawns as she stretches. "We all should get some sleep for tomorrow. Good night, guys." She waves to everyone before she also walks up the stairs and heads to her assigned room.

"I'm gonna turn in, too." Brock says as he stands up. He looks at the Pokémon. "Don't get into any trouble tonight. Make yourselves at home and get a good night sleep. We'll see you in the morning." The Pokémon nod or grunt in acknowledgement. Mrs. Ketchum comes in and smiles politely at the creatures. "You dears make yourselves feel right at home. Good night." The humans walk upstairs and close the doors behind them. The Pokémon are silent as they glance at each other.

Pikachu gestures for everyone to leave the house. Sceptile opens the back door and allows the Pokémon outside. He closes it quietly behind him before the Pokémon break into a run towards the forest.

After they are sure that they are out of hearing range, the Pokémon sigh in relief. Pikachu says, "It's all clear, guys. No one has followed us."

Then the Pokémon start to talk at once. They quiet down a bit while Corphish crawls up with a frown on his face. "Whew. I don't know how much longer we can keep up speaking gibberish. It gets old and annoying fast."

Pikachu is about to respond until Sceptile cuts him off. He leans against a tree as he chews his stick casually. "We have to keep our intelligence a secret for as long as possible, Corphish. You know that the humans will go crazy if they ever find out. Remember how the humans react whenever they see Team Rocket's Meowth talking?"

Corphish merely nods. Then Grotle comes up to the crab's side. "He's right, though. This stuff is getting kind of old. Plus, Meowth probably ruined our secret. There could be scientists out there that are experimenting on if other Pokémon can talk."

"But Sceptile's right, too." Chimchar pipes up. "Some of the humans might not know that we can speak their language. We can't risk it just because one Pokémon happens to talk normally."

Everyone silently agrees with the fire monkey's prediction. Just because Meowth goes around showing off his talent to the humans doesn't necessarily mean that the humans will think that all Pokémon are capable of human speech. But still, the Pokémon aren't going to risk anything in case there might be some sort of misunderstanding in the future.

"Why are we worrying about this right now?" Bayleef demands. Everyone looks at her. "We gotta start thinking ahead for our masters' sakes! You all know that something isn't right! I don't know why, but I fear that Ash's life may be at stake…"

The town atmosphere has started to turn dark not that long ago. All the Pokémon have noticed this and they assume that the excitement of seeing their trainers again may have been the cause of the exaggeration. But Pikachu and Sceptile know better.

While the Pokémon chatter to each other, Pikachu and Sceptile stare at the Ketchum residence thoughtfully. Ever since Ash's body has been taken over by a dark spirit, the Pokémon have watched their master much more cautiously. He has said and done things very out of character for him. Sceptile fortunately found out that Ash was possessed and drew away the spirit. Ash seems to act normal now.

Sceptile and Pikachu are still wondering about if the spirit's effects have lingered. Then they shake away the thought. Ash is normal and the two Pokémon have seen the spirit disappear into thin air. Then they decide that they are just being paranoid. They turn to face their friends and join the random conversations about the newest adventures made.

-ooo-

MEANWHILE…

Sceptile and Pikachu have every right to be worried for their master. Their fear has been confirmed.

While Ash is sleeping in his bed, a dark shadow sneaks through his window. A cold chill breezes through the room for a brief moment. The shadow hovers over the boy and stares at his sleeping form for a moment. Then the being places a clawed hand on the human's forehead. Ash winces at the cold touch and squirms a bit.

Suddenly the shadow lunges into Ash's body in a purple flash. In the next second, the two are gone. The only thing that proves Ash being in the room is his cap resting on the desk. The clothes that are supposed to be next to the cap and used for the next day are gone as well.

-ooo-

Arceus' eyes snap open. He looks around the Hall of Legends cautiously. He could have sworn that something bad has happened. His instincts have never betrayed him so something must be going on.

Arceus stands up on his pedestal. He looks around the dark room carefully. The only source of light is the moonlight beaming through the windows. The gold pedestals glisten like diamonds in contrast to the moonlight.

Arceus sighs as he lies back down. He narrows his eyes in confusion before he places his head on the cold ground. Why can't he shake the feeling of danger off from his mind?

Arceus decides that he is just being paranoid. He shakes his head. He has been living in the Hall of Legends for as long as existence has been created. Why should tonight affect him at all? Arceus tries to think about anything to ease his stress. Then one painful memory comes to his mind.

"Blackfire…" Arceus murmurs softly to himself. His eyes close in sadness as he remembers about his closest friend and lover from several centuries ago.

Arceus remembers all the details about his long lost love. Blackfire looks a lot like Arceus in every way. She has pure obsidian fur and has a silver horn on her forehead instead of golden arcs hanging around her sides. Her pale white face brightens whenever her lavender eyes glow brightly. Her motherly smile would always brighten everyone's mood.

"Blackfire… I'm so sorry…" Arceus says as he lowers his eyes in shame. He tries not to cry for obvious reasons. One, it is a sign of weakness; and two, his acidic tears could easily melt metal. Arceus himself doesn't know why his species has this strange trait, but he doesn't want the polished floor ruined.

The memory of Blackfire's exile is like ice in Arceus' blood. He would never forgive himself for what he has done. Arceus and Blackfire have been mates 1,500 years ago until a tragic event has separated them. Blackfire has committed the worst crime in the history of Legendary codes; she has gotten pregnant. Arceus was shocked by the news. The two Legendaries have already agreed to keep their love affair a secret but word has spread out about Blackfire's pregnancy. Arceus was unsure if the child was his; his species very rarely reproduce so it is no wonder why the Legendaries have died off quickly. The only other way for Blackfire to get pregnant is if she has mated with other mortal Pokémon. The thought of Blackfire secretly being with someone else hurts and angers Arceus. Even if the child was his, Arceus was forced to choose his job over his mate. Mating and carrying a Legendary offspring is forbidden. Doing such acts would be punished by death. The Legendaries have demanded to know about what needs to be done even though they are worried about Blackfire's fate. Blackfire is a good friend and a mother figure to the creators of life and the Legendaries do not want anything bad to happen to her. Arceus was left with only one choice; he has banished Blackfire from the Legendary Council. At first Blackfire was in denial before she falls into hysterics. Giratina and Palkia have tried to calm her down, but it was done in vain. After Blackfire calms down briefly, she stands up and looks straight at Arceus' eyes. Then she says the last magical words. _Goodbye, Arceus._ Blackfire leaves the Hall of Legends without another word. All the Legendaries sadly watch their queen leave. No one has ever heard from or has seen Blackfire again since that unfortunate day. Since then, Arceus has been all alone with no one to go to or to love.

Arceus sighs sadly. It is probably because of _him _that Blackfire is gone forever. It's probably _his_ fault that she is exiled for carrying a child. Honestly, Arceus would have been thrilled by the thought of starting a family with Blackfire. Even if he loses his job as a Legendary, nothing else would give him greater pride. Arceus would be happy to raise a strong graceful son or a beautiful brilliant daughter.

Arceus shakes his head. What's done is done. He cannot change time even if he forces Dialga to do it. He can only remain strong and look ahead for the Earth's future.

His own future.

Arceus looks out at the starlight sky and sighs again. "Blackfire. If you can hear me, then know that I still love you and I always will. I have not forgotten about you for one moment. I miss you so much. Good night and give me the strength to go on with my life." Arceus lowers his head and closes his eyes. After a few moments, dreariness overwhelms his body and Arceus falls asleep.

**One chapter down, thirty to go. Support, please!**


	2. Chapter 2: Disappearance

**New Divide**

**Chapter 2: Disappearance**

Pikachu awakens with a start. He sleepily rubs his eyes and stretches as he climbs off the couch. He looks around and sees his fellow Pokémon allies sleeping on their own spots. He looks at the clock; it is approximately seven in the morning. Ash would usually wake up at this time to check on his Pokémon. But surprisingly the young trainer is nowhere in sight.

Concerned, Pikachu decides to check on his master. He looks up the stairs for a moment.

'_Hmm… I wonder what Ash is up to…'_ Pikachu thinks to himself as he climbs up the stairs. He is careful about not making any sound to disrupt everyone that is still asleep. Pikachu successfully enters his master's room quietly and looks around.

Ash isn't in his room at all. Pikachu frowns. Maybe Ash has gone out for a morning walk? The yellow mouse keeps thinking until he sees something on the table that makes him stop walking. It's his master's favorite hat. Ash never takes it off unless he is asleep, so why hasn't he taken it with him?

Confused, Pikachu climbs on top of the table and picks up the hat. A small piece of paper falls from the inside of the hat and Pikachu notices this. He picks up the note and reads it curiously as he holds the hat under his arm.

_I hope that you have had a fun time with your friend, Ash Ketchum. He will never come back alive! I'll will see to it!_

_T. H._

Pikachu feels his blood turn cold as his fur pricks out of his body. He rereads the note again and again. Ash is gone? Was he kidnapped? Who is this mysterious T. H. person? Why has he done it?

That doesn't matter right now. What does matter is that Ash is gone. Whoever has taken him is most likely going to kill him. Pikachu desperately wants to rescue Ash, but he has no clue as to where is master is. All the little mouse could do is cry out his master's name in anguish. His cry startles everyone awaken in the house.

"ASH!"

-ooo-

"Raikou… Raikou…"

Raikou mumbles in his sleep. He turns away from his counterparts that are desperate to wake him up.

"It's time to get up, Raikou!" Suicune snaps as she glares down at Raikou. Suicune is tempted to poke or smack the Legendary, but she doesn't do it out of fear of Raikou rolling onto her again.

Raikou ignores Suicune and Entei, too lost into his sleep to give much thought about them. He apparently has forgotten that Suicune had the power over the snow. But fortunately for him, Suicune decides that freezing him wouldn't be worth it. Suicune and Entei continue to try to wake up Raikou until Suicune thinks of an idea. She smiles inwardly.

"Hey, Entei…" Suicune glances at her fire counterpart. Entei raises a brow as Suicune whispers into his ear. When she finishes, Entei looks thoughtful before he smiles and nods. Suicune then heads to the cave entrance while Entei stands before Raikou. When the water dog signals Entei, Entei inhales sharply.

"Raikou! Suicune is being captured by Team Rocket!" Entei screams out randomly. His voice echoes through the cave while Suicune cries out, "HELP!"

Raikou snaps his eyes open and jumps up to his feet. He frantically yells, "I'M COMING SUICUNE!" He speeds out of the cave and pounces onto Suicune as he scans around the area for humans. Entei doesn't hide back the look of amusement as he walks towards his counterparts.

Then Suicune and Entei laugh aloud. Raikou finally realizes that his counterparts have set him up on a prank. He glares at Entei and Suicune as he gets off the water dog.

"You guys are horrible…" Raikou grumbles tiredly. "Well, at least it woke you up, didn't it?" Suicune smirks while Entei continues chuckling.

Raikou ignores Suicune as he looks down over the cliff edge. The sun rises from behind the icy mountains and its rays slowly begin to melt the snow from the earlier blizzard. Raikou yawns as he stretches his tired limbs. Suicune and Entei wouldn't let him go back to sleep until the mission is over. Even though their prank was mean, it was a lot better than the last prank that Raikou has received within this week. The last prank was from Darkrai; the phantom thought that it would be funny to let Raikou witness a weird dream about himself and Suicune. Since then, Raikou has decided to never step foot onto Darkrai's island again if he knows what is good for his sleep.

"You guys ready?" Raikou asks his counterparts. They nod as they join him looking at the sunrise.

"All right. We need to get to the island by dusk at the latest," Raikou states as he feels the cold breeze blow through his fur. "Once we get there, I'll think about what we need to do."

"He never thinks over his plans, does he…?" Suicune whispers to Entei. The fire lion shrugs in response. "What was that?" Raikou asks, sounding annoyed.

"Nothing!" Both the counterparts smile cheesily. Raikou doesn't pay attention as he keeps his attention down at the valley. Then he says, "Well, let's get going. The sooner we get to the island, the sooner we can go home." With that said, Raikou jumps down the cliff. He whoops as the wind blow against his face while he runs down the steep slope.

Entei and Suicune watch Raikou before they glance at each other. Then they join the thunder tiger speed down the cliff. Their laughter echoes through the valley as the Legendary Trio head towards the ocean.

-ooo-

Darkrai and Cresselia sleep in each other's arms with smiles on their faces. As the sun rises, Darkrai squints his eyes from the brightness. He slowly opens his sea green eyes and looks down at Cresselia beside him. Darkrai smiles before he places a kiss on his lover's lips. Then he moves up and floats closer to the ocean to view the sunrise better.

Darkrai gazes at the sun as he stretches his limbs. He smiles as he watches the pink and blue hues mixing in the sky. He has to admit that he loves the sunrise even though he prefers darkness to everything. It would be oxymoronic to think of Darkrai as a fan of the morning. It always reminds him of a new beginning and that is exactly what the sunrise is. It's the new beginning of a new day and a new adventure. It'll never end.

Darkrai sighs as he scratches an itch on his lower back. The sky colors remind him of his lover…

"Rai?"

Darkrai blinks when he hears the voice call out to him. He turns around and sees Cresselia stretching her neck as she yawns loudly. Darkrai smiles lovingly as he floats over to Cresselia and kisses her on the lips. He cradles her face as he murmurs, "Good morning, beautiful."

"And good morning to you as well." Cresselia responds. She loves how Darkrai caresses her cheeks. She feels like she could melt under his hold. Cresselia closes her eyes as she sighs happily.

Cresselia then pulls away when she realizes that they cannot waste anymore time. Darkrai looks at her in confusion. Cresselia sighs. "You ready to head to the island?"

Darkrai looks like he has no idea of what Cresselia is talking about. Then it dawns onto him and he stares at Cresselia in bewilderment. "Right now?" He sounds almost desperate. "After what we had last night?"

Cresselia sighs again. "I know." She doesn't look up as the phantom places his hands on her cheeks. "But we need to get this job done by tonight at the latest. And if Arceus ever finds out…"

"He won't," Darkrai says firmly. "This is only between us." He smiles a little as a small blush forms on his cheeks. "And if it's any consolation, it was incredible…"

Cresselia smiles as a blush forms on her own cheeks. "I know… I won't ever forget it…"

Darkrai smiles again and pulls Cresselia in for a passionate kiss. He cradles her face as he gently pushes her against the tree. He is about to kiss her neck when Cresselia suddenly smacks him.

"OW!" Darkrai cries out in pain. The wounds from Terotrey's attack are still healing. Cresselia has hit a really tender spot on his head. Darkrai whines as a migraine forms in his head and he stares at Cresselia in slight disbelief and annoyance. "What did you do that for?"

Cresselia looks like she is about to hit him again. When she raises her head, Darkrai flinches. Then Cresselia giggles and Darkrai gives her an annoyed look as he crosses his arms.

After a few moments, Cresselia stops giggling and looks at her boyfriend in amusement. Her smile turns into a smirk as she struts over to him almost menacingly. "We have to get done with the mission tonight, Darkrai. And I hit you because I can." She pushes Darkrai against the tree. The intimidated Darkrai presses himself against the tree as he stares at Cresselia with wide eyes.

Cresselia's expression softens as she hovers over Darkrai. She moves her mouth closer to Darkrai almost seductively as a low smile forms on her lips. Darkrai's startled look softens as he leans in with closed eyes and expects a kiss. After a moment, he opens his eyes and realizes that he is only kissing air. Bewildered, Darkrai looks around for the metallic swan. He hears giggling and looks up to see Cresselia floating in midair with a large grin on her face.

"C'mon, Darkrai! We have no time to waste!" Cresselia calls down to Darkrai. Then she turns away and bolts through the sea towards the sunrise. Darkrai lets out an irritated groan as he massaged his bruised head.

"Damn woman…" Darkrai grumbles as he glares at his girlfriend disappearing into the sunrise. "Always a tease…"

Then Darkrai decides that the sooner the job is done, the sooner he can go home and be alone with Cresselia. Darkrai shrugs his shoulders as he floats up and chases after his counterpart through the ocean.

-ooo-

Mrs. Ketchum, Dawn, and Brock are panicking. They have called Officer Jenny and reported about Ash's disappearance. The capture has been all over the news. May, Max, Misty, Tracey, and even Gary have come over to help investigate.

It is a beautiful day in the afternoon as a gentle breeze blows through the trees. The Pidgey and Spearow fly happily through the sky, completely unaware of what is going on in Pallet Town. The heroes are unfortunately going through hell on this gorgeous day.

The police and reporters interrogate the citizens while some of the Pokémon inspect Ash's room for clues. To everyone's surprise, there is no sign of struggle or even a speck of dust out of place. The only evidence found is the note that Pikachu has found under Ash's hat. Professor Oak and Officer Jenny decide to look at the cap and note in the laboratory in hopes of finding possible clues that could be left behind.

Pikachu and Ash's other Pokémon sit outside on the front yard as they wait for something to happen. They are afraid and upset about their master's disappearance. They wonder about how the kidnapper has come into the house and left without a trace. More importantly, they wonder about why he has taken Ash and what he intends to do with the young trainer.

The more emotional Pokémon cry when they believe that their master could be gone forever. Other Pokémon look at bypassing people as they wait impatiently for any news about their master. Pikachu and Sceptile lean against the garden gates with indifferent expressions on their faces. Even though they appear indifferent, worry and depression are evident in their eyes.

"Where could he have gone?" Pikachu looks at Sceptile with worried eyes. Sceptile fiddles with his twig on his lips as he shrugs cluelessly. "I have no clue, Pikachu. But the only clue that we've got are the initials 'T' and 'H'. Only Arceus knows who could have taken Ash."

Pikachu only nods as he looks down at his feet. Noticing the mouse's trepidation, Sceptile places a hand on Pikachu's back. Pikachu looks up and sees the mixture of worry and reassurance on his face. "Don't worry, Pikachu. I'm sure that Ash can take care of himself. Sure he can act like a retard, but Ash is smart when he needs to be."

Pikachu purposely ignores the insult as he looks down in apprehension. "It's not that. It's just that I don't think that Ash can take care of himself without help from Pokémon. Who knows what could be happening to him at this point?" Pikachu covers his face as his frustration begins to give him a migraine.

For once, Sceptile says nothing. Pikachu has a valid point; Ash has been relying on his Pokémon to get him out of trouble ever since he has first gotten Pikachu. Ash has rarely ever been in a position where he was outside alone and lost. Whoever captured Ash must have planned the capture out thoroughly. Perhaps Ash was captured during his sleep…

Sceptile shrugs as he watches Ash's allies cry and panic to themselves. Even Gary looks disturbed by the news. Realizing that Sceptile has nothing else left to say, Pikachu sighs as he looks up at the sky. He prays to Arceus that Ash is somewhere safe and alive…

-ooo-

Arceus' eyes snap open. The God Pokémon blinks himself awake as he looks around the courtroom. He realizes that it must be noon due to the sunlight beaming through the windows. Fortunately, Arceus has decided to cancel the morning meetings from the day before, but he could not believe that he has slept for over twelve hours straight.

Arceus hears a voice in his head calling out to him. He narrows his eyes as he listens to the young tone; someone is praying out to him. _'Please, Arceus. If you can hear me, then heed my wish. Please make sure that my master Ash Ketchum will be safe. I ask no more than that."_

Arceus raises a brow. Many of the Legendaries have told him that a young boy named Ash Ketchum has saved them in several occasions from the evil wrongdoings of mainly Team Rocket. Then Arceus decides to oblige the small voice's plea. He closes his eyes and focuses on finding the young trainer with his advanced telekinesis ability. It's the least that Arceus could do as a favor for helping the creators of life.

There is total silence as Arceus concentrates. Then the God Pokémon snaps his eyes open and they glow gold. After a long while, his gold eyes start to dim and he blinks himself back into reality. His face displays pure bewilderment and disbelief. He has just witnessed the strangest thing ever; it's just as strange as Blackfire's sudden disappearance from the human history.

There is no person named Ash Ketchum on this planet. He doesn't exist anywhere on Earth. He has just disappeared from the face of the Earth just as Blackfire has. Arceus keeps searching through every single living person's mind and finds no young trainer under the name title.

Ash Ketchum is gone.

-ooo-

The Legendary Trio pant as soon as they reach to the beach. The counterparts are dirtied up and worn out by their rush through the mountains.

Entei sits down and licks his paw while Suicune lies down to catch her breath.

"Man, I had no idea that getting through the mountains would be that hard." Raikou mumbles as he sits down.

"All those ice Pokémon didn't look too thrilled by me being there…" Entei muses as he looks at his ice-covered feet. When the Legendaries have gone through the mountains, they have come upon angry Mamoswine and Glalie. The Ice Pokémon have grown more furious when they saw Entei and have decided to chase the three counterparts throughout the frosty valley. Fortunately, the Legendaries have gotten away from the Pokémon but they didn't stop until they have reached to the beach.

"Well, it doesn't matter…" Suicune says as she stands up. "At least we got out of there alive. Now let's get going." Suicune jumps into the water and sighs in delight at the cool sensation. She starts to walk on the water when she realizes that her counterparts aren't following her. She turns to look at the cats' horrified looks.

"What's the matter? Let's get going!" Suicune snaps irritably. Both the cats look up from the water directly at Suicune.

"Um, Suicune? Have you forgotten that we are both cats? We hate water!" Raikou shouts in annoyance. "Besides, Entei is weak against water. The element could kill him if he stays in it for too long…" Entei nods in agreement. Suicune looks thoughtful for a moment before an idea hits her. "I've got it!" She looks at the cats. "Wait right here!" Suicune then dives into the water and disappears under the depths. Raikou and Entei glance at each other bewilderedly.

"Where'd she go?" Raikou asks Entei. The fire lion shrugs. "Could be anywhere under there." He points at the water and Raikou rolls his eyes. He already knows that! He wants to know _specifically_ what Suicune is doing.

Suddenly a splashing sound is made. The cats turn to look at the water and realize that Suicune has returned… with two Lapras. Raikou and Entei quirk their eyebrows as Suicune and the Lapras head towards the beach.

Suicune stops at the shore and takes in her counterparts' curious and confused expressions. "These are Lapras. They are capable of carrying almost anything on their backs as they travel through water. I have spoken with these ladies and they would be happy to give us a ride to the island." Suicune explains. She smiles as she moves aside to introduce the Lapras formally.

"Indeed. It's always an honor to help the creators of life." The Lapras on Suicune's right says. "It's also an honor to meet them in person." The Lapras on the left says. The Lapras look almost identical facial wise as they smile politely at the Legendary cats. The only things different about them are their eyes and accessories; the right Lapras has aquamarine eyes while the left Lapras has red eyes. Both women have pearl necklaces that match their eye colors. The Lapras also have noticeable elegant British accents.

"Again, thank you ladies for helping us with our mission," Suicune says as she smiles at the Lapras. The girls return the smiles elegantly. The red-eyed Lapras holds up a flipper. "Of course, my dear. But first, let us do introductions. We British Pokémon like to keep things proper." The Lapras giggle amongst themselves.

Then the red-eyed Lapras straightens up. "Now, I will begin. I am Miss Laureen," She turns to look at the blue-eyed Lapras. "And this is my sister-"

"Miss Laura. We're twin sisters." The blue-eyed Lapras finishes. "You might say that were related." The Lapras and Suicune giggle loudly at this statement. "Oh, yes. I never would have guessed." Suicune jokes. The girls giggle even more loudly together while Raikou and Entei watch in bewilderment. The male Legendaries have never seen Suicune act like this before while they were around.

After regaining her position, Laureen says, "Now, onto business. You need to go to the island that has just formed recently nearby Cinnabar Island, correct?"

"Yes." Entei walks over to Suicune's side as he looks up at the Lapras. He begins to explain about the situation to the girls, starting from Arceus' orders to what has led to their current predicament.

"That is quite a story." Laura states. Laureen nods in agreement. "Well, we can carry you all to the island without any trouble." The fire lion smiles and nods thankfully. Laura then notices Raikou's curious face. She smiles. "And who is this handsome young man?" Raikou blushes at the comment.

Suicune looks at Raikou's blushing face and hides back the urge to laugh. She smiles. "That's Raikou. He's my other counterpart and has been my boyfriend ever since the issue with the robotic Pokémon that has happened about a month ago."

"Oh, yes. We have heard about that." Laureen says as she looks at Raikou with an impressed expression. "Raikou must have been so brave to face that horrid man alone."

Raikou wants to clear something up with that statement. He walked over to his girlfriend's side as he looks up at the Lapras' smiling expressions. "Darkrai helped me defeat Terotrey. In fact, if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here now. He has taken me in when I was exiled from the Legendary Council. He has also come with the idea of defeating Terotrey when we were sent to another dimension."

"Has he now?" Laureen asks in surprise. "Well then, why don't you tell me and my sister all about it during the trip?" Laura asks as she and Laureen turn to their sides to let the cats jump onto their backs. Suicune walks on the water again and watches her counterparts make themselves comfortable on the dinosaurs' backs. Raikou and Entei exchange glances before Raikou says, "OK. Thanks again for helping us."

"It is nothing, Raikou. We are very honored to be in your service." Laureen says as she smiles.

Meanwhile, Laureen leans over to Suicune. She whispers, "You are very lucky, Suicune. You have a very charming boyfriend that cares for you." This comment earns a blush from the water dog. She tries to hide it by saying, "Thanks. Even though Raikou acts like a dope most of the time, he's a really nice guy." Laureen nods in understanding.

"You all ready?" Laura asks everyone. When the Legendaries nod, she says, "All right! Then let's go!" The Lapras turn and swim through the water at a steady pace to make the cats comfortable. Suicune simply jogs on the water to catch up with the Lapras. During the trip, Raikou shares the story about his great adventure involving a certain evil man, his allies, and other Pokémon. Laura and Laureen listen in interest and comment on all of the right parts. Entei and Suicune choose to stay silent as they enjoy the trip. The fire lion falls asleep against Laureen while Suicune looks on ahead.

The sea glimmers under the sun as the Legendaries and Lapras sail away through the calm waters.

-ooo-

Somewhere unknown, a dark figure sits in the shadows lost in deep thought. Its blood red eyes are narrowed in anger and hatred. In fact, the glowing red eyes are the only source of light in the dark area.

He looks down at Ash Ketchum's slumbering body. The boy holds no wounds anywhere on his body but he strangely has his daily clothes on instead of his PJs. The being must have dressed Ash and he has probably planned to confront the boy when he awakens. The being stares at the child thoughtfully.

'_This child is supposed to stop me?' _It thinks darkly. '_This must be some sort of a joke; Alpha and Omega must be pulling on my tail! But the prophesy has specifically stated a Ketchum; no other being holds the surname. But still; he is merely a child!' _The being narrows his eyes into slits as he glares at the child.

Then he surprisingly smiles as his razor sharp teeth glisten in the red light. _'But no matter. Soon I will have my vengeance on Raikou, Darkrai, and Crystalline. Those two Legendary fools don't even realize that they are heading right into my trap!'_ He laughs darkly. His chuckles echo in the area filled with black and purple swirls that mix around each other. There was really no way to determine which side is the ceiling or the floor.

The being has taken this dimensional realm as his home. When he rules the world, he would call it Hell. Anyone else that would occupy this dimension would easily agree with the name debate.

-ooo-

"The twerp is gone?"

Meowth has a hard time accepting this fact as he stares at Sceptile's angry face. Before the Ketchum residence, the lizard has his arms crossed while he and Pikachu look at Meowth. Jessie and James hide in the forest and listen to the conversation in confusion and curiosity. The three Rockets have attempted to capture Pikachu again when Sceptile has arrived and explained about their current predicament.

Fortunately for the Rockets, all the other Pokémon and humans are in their homes. The sun has set so it was late at night. The stars twinkle in the sky behind the full moon.

"Yes. And until we find him, you will not lay a finger on Pikachu." Sceptile says calmly. It is obvious that he doesn't want to deal with the Rockets until his master has returned home. Sceptile is tempted to use Bullet Seed to send the Rockets through halfway through the universe.

"And what makes you think that we will simply just stop? It's our job to capture Pikachu!" Meowth narrows his eyes at Sceptile. Sceptile says nothing as he gives the cat a cool glare. Then he suddenly raises his arm as its leaf blades start to glow. Meowth steps back in alarm.

"Because if you don't leave now, then I will take care of you myself or I will simply call Officer Jenny over here." Sceptile says calmly with a hint of venom in his tone. He steps up to the frightened Meowth as he holds up his glowing blades. Pikachu watches Sceptile with a pale look on his face. He has never seen Sceptile this angry before. "But I'm giving you a chance to leave unharmed. It's your choice. _Decide now…_" Sceptile hisses.

Meowth finally gives in. "Okay, okay! We'll lay off until the twerp's back!" He holds up his arms in defeat as he looks pleadingly at Sceptile.

Sceptile glares down at Meowth for a moment before he lowers his arms. With narrowed eyes and crossed arms, he grumbles, "Good. See that you do. Be sure to tell your humans the message. Otherwise…" He stomps forwards and makes Meowth flinch. Satisfied by Meowth's reaction, Sceptile turns around and picks up Pikachu before entering the Ketchum residence.

"That stupid reptile always gets in the way…" Meowth grumbles as he stomps through the foliage. He crosses his arms when Jessie eagerly greets him.

"So what did he say?" Jessie asks as she looks down at Meowth. She looks eager for an answer since Sceptile has looked like he was about to Leaf Blade Meowth. Meowth glares up at Jessie. "We can't do it while the twerp is gone. Almost everyone who knows us is here, including Officer Jenny. Bottom line, the reptile will turn us in to the police or he'll turn us into mulch." He grumbles.

Jessie looks slightly offended as she looks down thoughtfully. Then she looks at James. "What do you think that we should do, James?" Then she blinks. James isn't by her side. Jessie looks around bewilderedly for her blue-haired comrade while she and Meowth think about the same question.

"Where did he go?"

-ooo-

A blue-haired Rocket walks through the forest and enjoys the tranquility. For the first time he has decided to not get involved with Pikachu's capture. While Meowth has been busy quarrelling with Sceptile, James decides to sneak away so he could clear his mind.

He stops in the middle of the forest right in front of a large bulldozer. It has a Rocket insignia on the side and is as big as a Wailmer. The door hatch is on top of the bulldozer so users have to use the ladder attached to the side of the bulldozer to reach to the door.

James places a hand on the machine as he looks at it. Fortunately, nothing seems out of place. James, Jessie, and Meowth have built this machine so they could dig a big gap that would hopefully destroy the town and all its contents. But the more James thinks about it, the more he doesn't like it. It isn't in his nature to hurt the innocent even though his job technically requires violence. But if it's for the sake of stealing Pokémon to please Giovanni, then so be it. James has nowhere else to go and he has no alternative job anyway.

James suddenly hears giggling and braces himself. He squints in the dark to see if anyone is coming towards him. He sees three shadowed figures heading at his direction. One of the figures is small while the other two figures are averagely tall. James is about to call out to the figures when he realizes that they are people. But when he sees their true appearances, his breathing stops.

The tallest of the three persons is a man at around his twenties. He looks strikingly handsome with pale white skin and bright ruby eyes. He looks at James cautiously while his skin glows under the moonlight. His green hair is done in a gladiator helm form with teal blue highlights while his bangs cover his eyes. His clothing contains a white shirt that is missing one sleeve, white and long loose pants, white sneakers, and a silver watch. He also has a noticeable red scar splayed across his muscular chest. James automatically assumes that the person must be a ninja because of the two sword sheathes hanging around the man's back. The man carries a curious but confused frown on his lips although his ruby eyes display distrust.

The second tallest person is a strange but beautiful Gothic woman. Her dark attire and pale white skin blend well with the dark setting. The woman's glowing red eyes make her more menacing than mysterious. Her clothing consists of long black boots and a rippled sleeveless black dress that goes down to her ankles. The woman's long lavender hair breezes through the gentle wind and her makeup consists of only black lip-gloss. Like the tall man beside her, the woman appears in her late twenties and she has a fit body that respectively shows off her curves. She also strangely has a similar silver watch on her wrist. The woman crosses her arms and leans against one leg as she stares at James. She frowns at James skeptically.

The last person is a much more welcoming sight than the other two people are. The girl looks like a young adult that is optimistic about many things. Her bushy obsidian hair flows against the gentle wind while her tanned skin blends in the darkness. Like the other two people, the girl has ruby eyes but she looks more curious and amused than skeptical. She also has the same silver watch on her wrist. Her perfect white teeth glimmer under the moonlight as she smiles at James. Unlike the other woman, the girl bears no makeup. Her attire consists of baggy pink pants, black sneakers, and a black shirt with long pink sleeves. Her extra accessory consists of black fingerless gloves. The girl's curvy hips sway a bit as she smiles flirtatiously at James. She places her hands on her hips as her eyes sparkle in amusement.

James stares at the three people just as long as they stare back at him. It doesn't help that the dark setting adds to the tense and awkward silence. Then James couldn't take the deafening silence anymore.

"What do you want?"

The newcomers flinch at the unexpected question. They glance at each other slowly as if they don't understand what James was saying. Then the tanned girl smiles playfully at James.

"Nothing at all, Sir. We were just wondering about what we have heard coming into the forest…" She says slyly. She sways her hip as she walks towards James casually. She keeps one hand on her hip as she smiles sweetly at James.

"Why are you here?" The man asks as he looks at James cautiously. "This is private territory. We do not allow trespassers around here." The dark woman spits darkly. It is obvious that she is not happy as she glares daggers at James.

"I-I am terribly sorry… I didn't know." James stutters. He backs away until his back comes in contact against a tree. The tanned girl notices this and frowns. She turns to glare at her friends. "Now look at what you both did! You scared this poor man out of his mind!"

Neither the man nor woman says anything. They both merely huff and cross their arms. The tanned girl turns to face James with a sweet smile on her lips. James couldn't help but smile back; he is enchanted by the girl's kind eyes and personality. The girl places a hand on James' chest and James' breathing tightens in his throat. She looks deeply at James' eyes as she whispers, "My name is Laki. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm James. It's nice to meet you, too." James murmurs back. He leans forward and expects a kiss. Instead, he feels pain in his neck. James yelps and roughly pushes the girl away. He touches his neck and stumbles in disbelief when he sees blood on his fingertips. She bit him! He looks at the girl in horror as she smiles and licks her lips and fangs.

_Fangs…_

Seeing the fangs makes James scream before he stumbles down and faints. The three people kneel over James and examine him for a moment. The man checks for a pulse and touches James' forehead. Then he shakes his head. "He just fainted. Nothing to worry about."

"Nice work, Lacaria. Now _you_ scared him to death." The dark woman chuckles. The tanned girl giggles. "I know, right? I'm _so_ scary." She points at herself proudly as she grins childishly. The two people roll their eyes at her.

"Well, at least we got the bulldozer. It's too bad; James would have been such a nice guy…" Laki says as she stands up and looks down at James in amusement.

"You're saying that _I'm_ not nice?" The man asks as he stands up and crosses his arms. He holds a fake offended look while Laki rolls her eyes. "Gallade, you are a different story. You're a friend. No offense, but I wouldn't date you; you're too much of a brother image to me." Gallade holds a slightly hurt look before he hides it by making a pouting face. His hurt look doesn't go unnoticed by the dark woman. She raises her eyebrows suspiciously before she shrugs carelessly and looks at Laki lazily.

"You sound just like Crystal." The dark woman says as she casually examines her fingernails. Lacaria glares at the woman.

"C'mon, Violet," Lacaria whines. "I know that you don't like Cryssy much, but cut the boss some slack. She's my best friend."

Violet looks surprised as she raises a brow. "Who says that I don't like her? Cryssy's my best friend, too. I sometimes just don't like Crystal's preppy attitude and overdramatic determination."

Lacaria is about to deliver another argument when Gallade decides to intervene. "Ladies, enough. If we are going to help Crystal with the mission, then we need to hurry. So let's just drop the argument, transform, take the bulldozer, and get out of here before anyone sees us."

The girls agree hastily with the man. Then the three people hold up their wrists and press a button on their watches. Their bodies glow for a moment before their sizes and shape change automatically.

Lacaria transforms into a Lucario. Her pink fur clashes well with her black limbs, furry chest, and mask. Laki stretches her limbs casually. Her ruby eyes glimmer brightly as optimism and excitement swim in the dark pools. Like the usual female Lucario, Laki has round spikes on her paws and chest but her body is slimmer than normal.

Gallade has transformed into a… Well, a Gallade. He looks like a normal Gallade with a few major exceptions. He no longer has blades on his arms. His arms look humanoid and more flexible. Gallade's sword sheathes are still strapped on his back and the emerald texture on the handles glisten under the moonlight.

Violet has transformed into a female version of Darkrai. Her skinny legs remain hidden under her long skirt as she levitates above the ground. Her pitch-black skin blends in the shadows very well. Violet's red eyes glow brilliantly in the darkness as she looks around lazily. Her body is very slim compared to most female bodies. Violet's skirt and long smoky lavender hair breeze gently against the wind. But unlike Darkrai, Violet has no scarf around her neck so her frown could be easily seen.

The Pokémon glance at each other before they nod. As they walk towards the bulldozer, Laki glances back at James worriedly. She nudges Gallade briefly. Gallade looks down at her curiously as Laki points at James' body. "What do we do about him?" Laki asks.

"Don't worry about James; he will be fine. Laki, we've got to go _now_." Gallade grabs Laki and throws her over the bulldozer and through the door hatch. Laki squeals in surprise as she lands inside the machine. Violet rolls her eyes before she floats up and enters the bulldozer quietly. Gallade glances around the forest before he climbs up the ladder and enters the bulldozer. He shuts the hatch and locks it tightly.

A few minutes pass and silence lingers until the bulldozer springs into life. The engines purr for a moment until a light erupts from the machine. When the light disappears, the bulldozer is gone with Laki, Gallade, and Violet inside it.

Jessie and Meowth walk through the forest until a bright light catches their attention. They rush over to the same direction to investigate until they find James' body lying on the ground.

"James! Are you all right?" Jessie cries as she kneels down and holds James in her arms. Jessie notices that blood is seeping from James' neck and she realizes that something must have bitten him.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ROCKET DOZER?" Meowth shrieks as he pulls his whiskers furiously. He looks around for the machine desperately. There are no signs that show that it could have been stolen; there aren't even any track marks that show that it could have been pushed or driven away. Then that means that it must have been taken through air support. Jessie only sighs in exasperation.

"This is gonna be a long night…" Jessie mutters as she stands up and tries to support James onto her back. Meowth grumbles about something as he follows Jessie across the forest.

-ooo-

It is now night and Raikou is about to fall asleep. Entei has been asleep since the departure while Suicune has grown exhausted from the jog. The Lapras twins have offered her a ride and Suicune rests beside Raikou during the rest of the trip. Raikou forces himself to remain awake so he could get a good visual of the island. When the Legendaries and Lapras reach to their destination, Raikou's eyes widen when he sees the island.

The area is not something that Raikou would expect to see in an island. The only thing occupying the land is a black cloud that overshadows the entire island. The thunder tiger wonders about if the cloud is a storm cloud, but he automatically feels uncomfortable by the sight. Even the Lapras find the island disturbing; they slow down when their bewildered eyes befall upon the wasteland.

When the Lapras reach to the shore, Raikou stands up and stretches his legs. He splashes water across his face before he looks at his girlfriend. He nudges her gently. "Suicune? We're here."

Suicune stirs before she squints her eyes open. She smacks her lips to clear the dryness from her throat. Then she stands up and stretches as she yawns loudly. Then she looks ahead and blinks when she looks at the island. Her eyes widen in surprise and horror as lethargy quickly disappears. Meanwhile, Raikou wakes Entei up. The fire lion stretches and yawns as he stands up. Then as Entei looks at the island, his eyes widen when he sees the terrible structure. The Legendaries hesitatingly jump off the Lapras to look at the island better.

Raikou looks at the island before turns to face the Lapras' nervous glances. "Do you mind if you stay here for a bit? We are going to explore around for a bit and we'll be back very soon. We need a ride back to the mainland."

"O-Of course, Raikou…" Laura stutters. She nods to Raikou as she glances up uneasily at the cloud. "Just take all the time that you need. But be careful." Laureen adds. Raikou smiles and waves his paw carelessly. "Don't you ladies worry. We'll be careful." He turns to face the island. "Thank you for sharing your story!" The Lapras call out to Raikou. Raikou glances behind him and nods as he and his counterparts walk through the shore.

The Legendaries gaze up at the black and purple cloud and watch its colors swirl around each other. "C'mon, guys…" Raikou says to his counterparts as he begins to run up the hill. Suicune and Entei glance at each other uneasily before they follow their thunder counterpart.

When they reach to the center of the island directly below the cloud, the Legendary Trio is surprised to see Darkrai and Cresselia in the area. The dream counterparts are looking up at the cloud in confusion as they talk to each other. Raikou runs up to the pair before Entei and Suicune could catch up.

"Darkrai! Cresselia!" Raikou calls out. The dream counterparts look at Raikou with surprised looks. Cresselia's face softens while Darkrai looks confused by the Legendary Trio's arrival.

"Hello, Raikou. What a wonderful surprise to see you here." Cresselia murmurs as she kisses Raikou's forehead. Raikou blushes while his counterparts catch up and look surprised to see Darkrai and Cresselia. Entei asks, "What are you two doing here?"

Darkrai shrugs as he crosses his arms. "Arceus ordered us to explore the island. So far, there's nothing in this wasteland except that cloud up there." Darkrai points up at the dark cloud.

"Arceus assigned you to do this?" Suicune asks in surprise. "But that's impossible; he assigned _us_ to explore this island." Raikou adds as looks at Darkrai in confusion. The Legendaries are silent as they think about their predicament. Arceus usually assigns only one team to do an exploration task. Even if Arceus assigns two teams, then he would have informed them both about who else would also do the mission. What has Arceus been thinking…?

"Arceus assigned us, too." Darkrai states as he crosses his arms and narrows his sea-green eyes. He also obviously thinks that this must be some sort of mistake.

"Let's not argue about this now, guys," Entei says as he looks up at the cloud. "At least all we know about this island is that it has a dark cloud occupying it. So let's get out of here and report back to Arceus." Anyone who knows Entei well could tell that whenever he is in a rush, he would leave mostly because he is afraid. But neither Darkrai nor Raikou would have any of it.

"We gotta figure out what that cloud thing is, Entei," Raikou says as he points at the cloud. "We don't know what it is and who knows what it could do?"

"For once, I agree with the kid." Darkrai floats beside Raikou with his arms still crossed. "We don't know if it's dangerous. Any Pokémon who would live on this island (I don't know _why_ they would want to do that since it's only a wasteland) could be affected by whatever the cloud holds."

"Um… Guys? Is it me or does the cloud look like it's heading straight towards us?"

Cresselia's question makes everyone blink. Darkrai and Raikou exchange glances before they snap their heads up to look at the cloud. The longer the Legendaries stare at it, the more they realize how much bigger the cloud is getting. The Legendaries back away from the cloud as it levitates barely a foot above the ground. The Legendaries raise their brows skeptically as they watch the cloud cautiously. Darkrai and Raikou bravely step up to look at the cloud more closely.

The cloud suddenly changes shape. Darkrai and Raikou step back as the cloud forms into a portal with black and purple zigzag patterns. Everyone frowns in confusion. "A portal to a different dimension?" Cresselia asks. Entei and Suicune keep away from the portal as they stare at it suspiciously. Darkrai and Raikou walk a bit closer to the portal as curiosity gets the better of them.

"Raikou! Darkrai! Be careful!" Suicune calls out worriedly as she, Entei, and Cresselia look at their counterparts uneasily. "Suicune, relax. It's just a portal that leads to somewhere." Raikou says as he looks over the hole to see anything. But all he sees are more zigzag patterns leading down to an endless pit. Raikou smiles his familiar grin excitedly. "Maybe to somewhere new."

Darkrai rolls his eyes. "Kid, do you remember what I said when-"

Darkrai's scolding is interrupted when dark laughter erupts out of nowhere. Everyone jumps at the loud and shrill sound. Suicune, Entei, and Cresselia back away as they look at the portal in alarm and fear. Raikou and Darkrai widen their eyes as they step back. Their faces pale as a horrifying realization hits them.

They both know that voice by heart. It's the same voice of the man who has nearly killed them. The man who has transformed innocent Pokémon into mindless killing robots. The same man who has fooled Team Rocket into working for him for world domination. The same man who has captured all the Legendaries and has taken their essences with the intent to create a new world. The same man who everyone has believed to be dead.

_Terotrey Horrifiance._

Horrified and afraid, Raikou and Darkrai stare at the portal as their blood turns cold. "No… It can't be…" Darkrai gasps as his sea-green eyes illuminate pure fear and disbelief. "What's wrong, guys?" Cresselia asks in concern. Suicune and Entei raise their brows at the two Legendaries' reactions. The three Legendaries have no idea of what is going on.

"We need to get out of here…" Raikou finally manages to say. He doesn't avert his eyes from the portal as he speaks to the other Legendaries. Cresselia, Entei, and Suicune just stare at Darkrai and Raikou.

Laughter erupts from the portal again. The sound sets Raikou and Darkrai off. The phantom and tiger turn and bolt straight to the other Legendaries. "RUN! NOW!" They scream together.

Suicune puts on a look of confusion. "But-"Her question is interrupted when two large monstrous hands come out of the portal. They reach out and grab Darkrai and Raikou. The two Legendaries scream as the majestic hands pull them towards the portal. The phantom and tiger squirm under the tight grips but they couldn't escape from the demon's grasp.

"RAIKOU! DARKRAI!" Suicune screams as fear strikes her heart. She watches in horror as her ally and lover are pulled into the mysterious portal. She runs forward in an attempt to save the Legendaries. After Cresselia and Entei snap themselves out of their horrified states, they join Suicune to stop the hands from taking away their allies.

"DARKRAI!"

"RAIKOU!"

"CRESSELIA! ENTEI! SUICUNE!" The phantom and tiger cry out fearfully as they are dragged through the portal. Their screams echo through the dimensional hole until the portal closes. The two heroes go through the door that would surely lead them to their deaths.

"NO!" The three Legendaries shriek as they rush towards the closing portal. They jump for it but they miss when the portal disappears in a flash. The three Legendaries land on the rocky surface and stumble. They sit up and look around with fear and hurt in their eyes. Cresselia and Suicune stand up and look around for the portal before a painful shock hits them. Entei slams a fiery paw on the ground in frustration and dismay.

"Where are they?" Suicune demands hysterically. Entei doesn't answer as he covers his face and roars out his despair and anger. Cresselia and Suicune finally stop looking around for the portal and fall down. They break down and cry out for their loss.

The Legendaries know that they have to report to Arceus about their predicament, but they don't know how to tell him and the other Legendaries about the terrifying event. Even if Palkia could use her powers, it would be futile since there are a million different dimensions out there. Raikou and Darkrai could be in any one of them.

Whoever has taken Darkrai and Raikou is now the only source that could return the Legendaries home.

Darkrai and Raikou are on their own now.


	3. Chapter 3: Reunions

**Hey, guys! Sorry for the long update! But guess what; the bios and pics of every single character in this story is up in my Deviantart Account! It took a long time to get them in, but it worked out just fine! U should check those out and leave a comment about them! I'd appreciate it!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 3: Reunions**

Darkrai and Raikou are dragged through the portal in the hands of a determined monster. The Legendaries' screams echo through the tunnel as they struggle and use their attacks on the beast. But nothing helps ease the monster's grip; it's as if Terotrey has a protective cloak around his skin.

Darkrai and Raikou continue their attempts to be free, but soon they stop when they realize that it's useless. They glance at each other in exhaustion. "What do we do, Darkrai?" Raikou asks. Darkrai looks down uneasily. "I… I don't know, kid. This could be it for us…" Darkrai's expression turns sad when he realizes that he might never see the people that he cares about again. Not Alice, not Arceus, not Cresselia…

Darkrai's heart sinks when he thinks about his lover. Nothing else matters to him more than Cresselia does. Darkrai would die for her in a heartbeat. Darkrai remembers every little moment that he has shared with Cresselia. His thoughts avert from the day they met to the very last night that they had shared. Darkrai's heart aches when he thinks about the previous night. That was the night when he and Cresselia had made love for the first and possibly last time. To put it bluntly, it was the most incredible experience that Darkrai had. But due to his current situation, he may never see Cresselia again…

While Darkrai looks down sadly, Raikou looks up at Terotrey with determined eyes. Now way is he going to let Terotrey destroy him and Darkrai, especially after what the mad scientist has attempted to do not too long ago. He looks around carefully before he smirks at Darkrai's direction. Darkrai notices Raikou's look and raises a brow questioningly. Raikou winks before he opens his mouth widely and bites down onto Terotrey's finger. The bite causes black substance to flow out of the wound and Raikou assumes that the ooze must be Terotrey's blood.

Terotrey lets out a scream of pain as he unintentionally lets go of the Legendaries. While the Legendaries are sucked down through the tunnel, Terotrey stops in his place and clutches his bleeding finger. He gazes at the wound with bewildered eyes before he glares furiously at the tunnel where the Legendaries have disappeared into.

"Damn you, Raikou!" Terotrey snarls venomously. "Once I find you two, you're both dead…" He zooms down the tunnel after the Legendaries.

Darkrai and Raikou continue to speed down the purple and black tunnel. The zigzag patterns blind the duo until the portal disappears and is replaced by a land of sand. Unable to help themselves, the Pokémon crash onto the surface. They hack as they dig out of the sand and shake off the unwanted dirt from their bodies. Then they look around with wide eyes.

Sand is everywhere as far as the eye can see. The sky is an unappealing mixture of black and purple colors. Some plateaus are scattered throughout the land and hints of volcanic activities are shown through the hard surface.

Darkrai floats up and looks around cautiously. He carefully looks around for anything that can help him and Raikou out of their situation before Terotrey gets to them. Darkrai blinks. _Terotrey…_

"Where is Terotrey?" Darkrai mutters as he looks up at the sky. Raikou takes a battle stance as he looks around cautiously for the terrifying beast. "I don't know. But how the hell is he still alive?" Raikou mutters. Darkrai only shrugs.

Then the Pokémon hear a muffled groan and freeze at their spots. Thinking that Terotrey may be near, they cautiously walk towards the source of the noise and find something unexpected lying face-down on the sand.

Messy black hair…

A Blue shirt…

Blue jeans…

Ashen cheeks…

Darkrai automatically knows who this child is. "Ash Ketchum…?" He raises a brow as he flips the boy onto his back. Raikou walks closer and looks down at the unconscious human curiously. Entei and Suicune have mentioned about this boy a few times. The human has supposedly helped them out some time ago. Raikou couldn't help but wonder about how a young child would be able to handle tough situations.

Darkrai places a finger over the boy's neck and checks for a pulse. "He's still alive." He mutters before he begins to check around Ash's body for any more wounds. Raikou continues to stare at Ash uncertainly.

Ash groans when Darkrai shakes his shoulders. The human shakes his head while the Pokémon back away to give him some space. Raikou raises a brow; he hasn't seen a human up close, let alone a trainer. Even though the boy appears to be harmless, Raikou has to be careful.

Ash droopily opens his eyes and sees sand everywhere. He frowns; he remembers sleeping in his room, not in the middle of a desert. "Where am I…?" He mutters as he rubs his head. Then he turns to face Darkrai and Raikou. Darkrai crosses his arms while Raikou stares at Ash.

"Good to see you awake." Darkrai mutters as he narrows his eyes at the human. "You were unconscious. We thought that you were dead." Raikou adds as he smiles kindly at Ash.

Ash stares blankly at the Pokémon for a few seconds. Then he screams and jumps a foot up in the air. This unexpected reaction startles the Pokémon and the duo stare bewilderedly at Ash. "You're both Pokémon!" Ash shouts as he points at the Pokémon.

"Well, at least now we know that you're OK." Raikou grins. "You're talking Pokémon? Am I dreaming…?" Ash squeaks as he backs away. He pinches his cheek and groans. "Nope. That felt real…"

"You're really funny for a human…" Raikou muses. Darkrai just floats there with an unreadable expression. Ash stares at Raikou before he panics again. "Ack! You're still talking!"

Raikou frowns in concern. "Maybe you're not OK after all…" He muses as he furrows his brows. Ash runs over to Darkrai and hides behind the phantom. Darkrai raises a brow while Ash stares at Raikou in terror.

"It's OK," Darkrai slowly moves away from the human. "This is Raikou. He's a Legendary and a good friend of mine. He won't hurt you." Darkrai pushes the uneasy human towards Raikou. Raikou stares down somewhat sheepishly at Ash while Ash hesitates. When the human sees the tiger's kind eyes, he relaxes a bit and steps closer. He rubs the back of his head bashfully.

"Eh, sorry about that. I have a bad habit of acting without thinking." Ash smiles weakly. Raikou smiles back. "It's no problem. I also have a bad habit of doing that too."

The awkward atmosphere is shattered when a loud roar echoes through the valley. The sand dunes shake while the three men stumble in alarm. Darkrai looks up and sees a black and purple portal forming in the sky. Without thinking twice, he jumps forward and tackles the two boys down onto the sand. The boys protest until Darkrai covers their mouths and glares up at the sky. The phantom sees a large beast coming out of the portal with furious eyes. When Raikou and Ash see the monster, they stop moving and watch him with wide horrified eyes. Terotrey unknowingly zooms past the trio as he looks around for something.

Once he disappears over the horizon, the three men sigh in relief and stand up. Darkrai wipes the sweat from his forehead. "Who was that?" Ash whispers. Raikou is about to respond when Darkrai nudges him by the shoulder. The phantom points at the deserted plateau not too far from their position. The men could see a few small caves within the tall pillars.

"We need to find shelter before we talk. We need to hide from Terotrey for as long as possible. If we stay in one place for long, Terotrey will find us." Darkrai states.

Raikou and Ash nod in agreement. Then the thunder tiger hoists the human onto his back and the Legendaries speed off towards the plateau. The three men occasionally look over their shoulders to see if Terotrey is in the area before they regain their focus back to their destination.

-ooo-

"… Raikou and Darkrai are… What?"

Suicune gulps as tears flow down her cheeks. The water dog, Cresselia, and Entei stand on the pedestal before the Legendary Council as they explain about their unfortunate predicament to the stunned Legendaries. Suicune glances at Cresselia. The metallic swan was too upset to talk and her lavender eyes were red from all of the crying that she has done. Entei looks sad as he gazes up at Arceus and waits for someone else to say something.

Arceus' gold eyes were wide with shock and disbelief. "But… I have never assigned any of you to do an exploration…" He raises a brow suspiciously and uneasily. He gazes at the other Legendaries that are sitting on their assigned seats. They all look too stunned and horrified to say anything about this crisis.

Suicune frowns and looks at Arceus quizzically. "You called out to us in our minds and told us to investigate an island off the coast of the Kanto Region."

Arceus frowns skeptically. "If there is a new island, then Groudon would have notified me about it." The God Pokémon looks over at the landmass lord skeptically. Groudon shrugs in his spot. "I didn't sense any new land formation, Arceus. If I didn't make the land, then it isn't real. Someone or something must have put the island up as a realistic illusion to trick bypassers." Groudon states thoughtfully as he taps his chin.

The Legendaries murmur amongst themselves thoughtfully while Arceus remains silent. Then the God Pokémon speaks. "Well, whoever has told you about this island must have used my voice as an undercover to lure you into a trap. But the questions are who would be able to mimic my voice effectively and how has it concealed its identity at the same time?"

The Legendaries chatter amongst themselves about the possibilities of who the perpetrator would be. Suicune, Cresselia, and Entei lower their heads in remorse. Suddenly Mewtwo floats up. "What are we going to do about rescuing Darkrai and Raikou?" He asks worriedly.

The Legendaries glance at Mewtwo before they look at Arceus. Arceus looks thoughtful before he looks down at Suicune carefully. "You say that Darkrai and Raikou were dragged into a dimensional portal?" He asks.

Suicune nods. "You're absolutely sure?" Arceus asks again. Suicune nods again. "Yes, Sir. We have seen Palkia create portals and we know what the occasional dimensional portal would look-" Suicune stops herself when a thought hits her. Then the water dog looks at Palkia with hopeful eyes.

Uncomfortable by the water dog's stare, Palkia shrugs cluelessly. "What?"

Suicune walks over to the space Pokémon and gazes pleadingly up at her. "Palkia, you're a Pokémon that can control dimensions. Surely you can locate the dimension where Darkrai and Raikou are." The Legendaries hold hopeful looks as they look intently at Palkia. Palkia looks thoughtful before she shrugs. "I could, but there are a million different dimensions out there. Darkrai and Raikou could be in any of them."

Deoxys and Mewtwo float up and hold determined looks on their faces. "Well, then we'll just have to look inside each dimension, won't we?" Deoxys states confidentially.

Palkia frowns. "We would need much more than a group of Legendaries to look through each dimension…"

"Remember the army that has helped us defeat Terotrey? We could ask for assistance again and the Pokémon may spread out the word about the missing Legendaries. That way if anyone knows about Raikou or Darkrai's whereabouts, then they can notify us."

The Legendaries seem to approve of this plan. Then Arceus says, "Very well. We all will be involved with this search. Get as many people involved in the search as possible. Do whatever it takes to bring back Darkrai and Raikou. If you happen to find the perpetrator, then bring him here; I would like to have a talk with him. Everyone is dismissed." The God Pokémon steps down from his pedestal and stares at the Legendaries for a moment. Then he walks towards the entrance door and leaves the room.

The Legendaries glance at each other before they stand up and follow their leader. While they go towards their separate ways, the Legendaries hope that Raikou and Darkrai are safe somewhere in the world.

_Please be safe, boys…_

-ooo-

Mewtwo and Deoxys fly through the sky together as they look around for two certain Pokémon. Even though it is a nice evening, they can't waste any time to enjoy the night.

They see a large meadow ahead and watch a certain dragon chasing after a smaller being. Deoxys and Mewtwo dive towards the duo and land a few feet away from them. The psychics know that the two Pokémon are close friends of Raikou and they would be willing to help the Legendaries find him.

Skyler chases after a hysteric Roselia with annoyed eyes. The Roselia laughs his head off as he gazes over his shoulder and runs even faster to avoid being caught. He then looks ahead and sees Mewtwo and Deoxys before him with crossed arms.

Jefferson Drewyer Roselia's smile fades and he screeches down to a complete halt. He stops a few feet in front of the psychics and he grins widely. Unfortunately, Skyler trips over Jeff and lands on top of the small flower.

"ACK! DUDE, SKYLER! LIKE, GET OFFA ME!" Jeff shrieks from under Skyler's body. He flails his rosy hands wildly and screams in anxiety. Skyler shakes his head from his dizzy spell and realizes that he is sitting on his friend. He stands up and looks down at a flattened Roselia. He picks Jeff up and fluffs him out before he sets the flower Pokémon down. Jeff holds his head and shakes the dizziness off before he rubs his arms.

The boys glance at the patient Legendaries and then grin like idiots. Without warning, they grab the psychics and hug the daylights out of them.

"Hey, mates! Long time no see, eh?" Skyler hugs the psychics by their shoulders and grins through his fangs. Roselia climbs up to the dragon's snout and nuzzles the psychics' faces affectionately. "Hey, dudes! How's the life with the Legendaries going?" Jeff asks.

Mewtwo manages to pull away from the hug. He glares disapprovingly at the two Pokémon while Deoxys simply returns the hug. "It's been a while, boys…" Deoxys says as she breaks away from the hug with a smile on her face.

Her smile suddenly turns into a serious frown. "We need your guys' help." Deoxys says quietly. Her change of attitude goes by unnoticed by the optimistic Pokémon. The two boys simply grin. "What service may we simple beings do for the great Legendaries?" Jeff says dramatically as he bows down to the psychics from Skyler's shoulder.

Mewtwo crosses his arms as he glares at the childish Roselia. This is no time to fool around! Mewtwo decides to cut straight to the point. "Raikou and Darkrai are missing."

Jeff nearly topples over Skyler's head out of shock. Skyler stares at Mewtwo as if the psychic has just shared a sick joke with them. "W-What…?" Jeff squeaks as sits on Skyler's snout and stares horrifically at Mewtwo. The Pokémon look at Deoxys and see that she has a grim look on her face as well.

"Suicune has told us about what happened. Someone has taken Darkrai and Raikou to another dimension. We need help with looking for those two through each dimension before something happens to them." Mewtwo explains coolly.

Skyler and Jeff couldn't believe their ears. Their good old buddy Raikou and another Legendary are missing? Are they all right? How long would it take to find the Legendaries? The Pokémon are certain of one thing as they narrow their eyes in determination.

They are going to save their friend.

"We'll help with the search. When we find whoever has taken Raikou, we're gonna kick his ass!" Jeff throws some cheesy punches in the air while Skyler nods in agreement.

Mewtwo nods in acknowledgement before he and Deoxys start to fly through the sky. Skyler follows the psychics while Jeff holds onto his antennas for dear life. It is quite obvious that the flowery being is terrified of heights.

"Don't worry, Jeff. I won't let you fall." Skyler reaches over his head and pats the Roselia's head softly. Jeff meekly nods but he continues to hold onto the dragon's antennas tightly.

"So what were you chasing Jeff for?" Deoxys asks as she looks at Skyler. It is obvious that she wants to start a conversation to pass by the time while they look for more assistants. Mewtwo remains quiet as he focuses on his destination and the conversation at the same time.

"Oh, that. Well, earlier I had gathered some Berries for dinner. Then a certain _someone_ ate all of the Berries and didn't bother to save some for me." Skyler glares up at the Roselia on his forehead. Deoxys giggles softly. The boys always bicker about the most ridiculous things but their quarrels are often amusing to the DNA psychic.

"Shucks, dude. I was, like, hungry!" Jeff protests as he looks down pleadingly at his best friend. "You said that you weren't hungry so I helped myself!"

"That doesn't mean that you can eat all of the Berries! I spent all evening getting the food!" Skyler spat. Then the two Pokémon begin to argue with each other and Mewtwo groans in annoyance.

'_This is going to be a long night…' _Mewtwo thinks to himself. Deoxys only smiles at the boys as they continue to follow Mewtwo towards their next destination.

-ooo-

"Darkrai and Raikou are gone?"

Suicune nods to the Charizard and Rhydon before her. She has just finished telling the tribe leaders about her predicament and the siblings look stunned beyond belief. Nearby the leaders are Ulrik, Flame, Shadow, and several other Pokémon tribe members. The Pokémon look shocked as they gawk at the water dog.

Atsila finally regains his strict position. "I see…" He mutters as he rubs his temples tiredly. Bouldarin watches Suicune carefully as the water dog sits down and waits for the leaders to say something else.

"Arceus has asked everyone to keep a look out for Raikou and Darkrai in case they come back. But in the meantime, some Pokémon need to come back with me to the Hall of Legends so we can start on the search tomorrow morning. We really need all the help that we can get." Suicune says softly. Suddenly tears begin to form in her eyes. "I… I don't know if Raikou and Darkrai are safe right now, but I'm so worried about them… Especially Raikou…"

Atsila notices Suicune's sadness and leans over to cup her chin. He makes the water dog look up at him. "Don't worry, Suicune. We'll help in every way possible. Raikou has done so much to help our tribes, and I think that now is the time that we should return the favor…"

Suicune sniffles and smiles as she nods. The old Charizard lets go of Suicune and the water dog wipes away the incoming tears in her eyes. "Thank you…" She murmurs.

"Do not mention it, Suicune. We will do everything in our power to find Raikou and Darkrai." Bouldarin places a fist over his heart and bows before Suicune. Then he straightens up. "Let me announce about the plan to everyone outside and then I'll send my tribe of Rhyhorns down to the Hall of Legends with you." With that said, Bouldarin walks past Suicune and leaves the hut.

The room occupants stay at their spots and glance at each other briefly. Suddenly Bouldarin's voice shatters the silence. "EVERYONE, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE!"

The Pokémon turn quiet as they listen to the Rhydon's speech. "Atsila and I have just received the news that Raikou and Darkrai have disappeared." The Pokémon outside gasp in shock and disbelief. Then Bouldarin speaks again. "By Arceus' orders, we must search high and low throughout the lands for Raikou and Darkrai. Atsila's tribe will search far and wide as they spread the word out about the Legendaries' disappearance. My tribe will go with Suicune towards the Hall of Legends to look for the two Legendaries through each dimension that Palkia will summon."

Bouldarin pauses before he speaks again. "Be proud to serve the Legendaries. Do whatever you can to find Raikou and Darkrai. If anyone has any information that will help us find the creators of life, then inform me or Atsila as soon as possible. FOR THE LEGENDARIES!"

The Pokémon roar in agreement while Bouldarin returns into the hut. He wipes some sweat off his forehead as he smiles at Suicune. Suicune smiles back. "Thank you again…" She murmurs.

He then returned inside the throne room, wiping some sweat off his forehead and smiled at Suicune. "Thanks again, everyone…" She murmured.

The Pokémon nod and Atsila stands up from his seat. "I will go with you and Bouldarin to search for Raikou and Darkrai through each dimension. My tribe knows about what to do." He places an aged hand on Suicune's head and pets her slightly. The duo look and Bouldarin and nod before everyone leaves the hut. As the three leaders reach to the ground, Bouldarin calls out to his Rhyhorns. "Boys, let's make haste! We're leaving now and we're going to camp in the Hall of Legends overnight so the search will begin first thing tomorrow morning! Everyone else knows about what they need to do!"

All the Rhyhorns follow the three leaders through the foliage while the rest of the Pokémon go to different directions. The search for the two missing Legendaries has begun.

Meanwhile, a lone being sits on a tree branch as she watches the tribes spit up. She remains at her spot as she lazily places a twig over her lips. Once the Pokémon are gone, she jumps off the branch and lands gracefully on the ground. She flicks her twig away as she steps up to the moonlight. The girl is a black and white Grovyle with strange black marks on her lips and forehead. Her blades are longer and slimmer while her head blade has a curled tip at the end. Her only accessories are a Star Piece necklace and a digital watch on her wrist.

Suddenly the watch starts to make beeping noises. The Grovyle looks at her watch before she presses a button. She holds her wrist up while a blue hologram of a pink Lucario's head pops up. The Grovyle smiles. "Hey, Laki. Did you get the bulldozer?" She asks quietly.

Lacaria grins. "Yep! We got it, Cryssy! We're good to go!"

Crystal smiles again. "How did you get it so fast from those Rockets? Honestly, I didn't think that you would get it until at least tomorrow morning."

Suddenly the pink Lucario frowns uneasily. "Well, I kinda had to bite the man since he was alone with it…"

Crystal groans. "Laki…"

"But I swear that my bite only put him to sleep!" Laki exclaims. "I didn't overdose him with too much sleeping powder. Too much of it could kill him and you know that I wouldn't do something like that unless it's necessary!"

The Grovyle is silent until she sighs. "It's fine, Laki. You did what you had to do to get the bulldozer. That's all that matters. I'm glad that you didn't go too far with using the powder." Crystal smiles reassuringly at her friend.

Laki returns the smile. Suddenly she looks curious. "So what do you need the bulldozer for anyway?"

Crystal smirks. "Just bring it to Terotrey's Realm in the plateau terrain at six tomorrow morning and you'll find out."

Laki gasps in horror as she stares at her friend with wide eyes. "But Cryssy, you know that place is dangerous! We never go in there; it's forbidden! You made that rule yourself!" Laki protests.

Crystal shrugs carelessly. "Just do it and trust me."

"But-"

"Lacaria." Crystal's voice turns hard as she glares at the Lucario. Lacaria hesitates for a moment before she sighs.

"… OK, Cryssy." Laki sighs in defeat. Then she looks up at Crystal with unsure red eyes. "I just hope that you know about what you're doing." With that said, Laki ends the call.

Crystal smiles as she lowers her wrist and turns to walk through the foliage. "Oh, don't worry, Laki. I know _exactly_ what I'm doing…"

-ooo-

Entei pants as he reaches to the mountains where Drendan and Heatran reside in. He finds a cave and walks inside as he shakes the snow off his fur.

Entei walks down the tunnel and begins to search high and low for the Lucario and exiled Legendary. He greatly hopes that the duo hasn't moved to a new home; otherwise the entire search would be pointless. Entei runs through different caves and comes across either more paths or dead ends. Entei is thankful that he's a fire type; the heat from the caves has no effect on him.

When Entei comes across another dead end, he slumps down in exhaustion. Sweat falls from his forehead as he rests against the wall and rubs his aching paws. His heart drops when he realizes that the duo must have moved away to another place. Entei stands up and starts to leave until he hears footsteps coming from behind him.

Entei tenses as he turns around and growls at the intruders. He relaxes when he sees Drendan and Heatran before him with bewildered looks on their faces.

"Heatran! Drendan! Thank goodness that I found you!" Entei sighs in relief as he sits down. Heatran and Drendan drop their guards as they sit down and sigh in relief as well.

"You have been looking for us, Entei? Why?" Heatran asks curiously. Other than Raikou, Deoxys, and Mewtwo, Entei is the closest Legendary friend that Heatran has. Even before Heatran's exile, the fire Legendaries are like brothers. They talked with each other only once after the exile and that was when they were celebrating Raikou's victory against Terotrey a month ago. It's honestly a surprise for Heatran to know that the fire lion has been looking for him.

Entei wastes no time to explain about the crisis to the duo. Heatran and Drendan listen to the fire lion's story intently. When Entei finishes, the Pokémon are stunned as they stare at the lion with wide eyes and open mouths.

"Raikou and Darkrai have been captured?" Drendan asks uncertainly. Entei nods grimly. "Yes. I came here to see if you guys will help us find Raikou and Darkrai. I fear that the worst has yet to happen…" Entei shivers at the thought of losing Raikou and Darkrai.

Heatran snaps out of his stupor as he puts on a look of determination through narrowed eyes. "Not under my watch." Drendan and Entei look at the fire toad with surprise and curiosity. Heatran stands up. "Raikou has helped me see the light a month ago and I won't let him die easily. Not after how much he has helped me."

Drendan stands up as well. "I promised Raikou that I'd help him with anything. Heatran and I will go with you to find Darkrai and Raikou." The Lucario bows before Entei respectfully. Heatran nods to Entei with a smile on his face. Entei returns the nod and smiles as he stands up.

"Wonderful. This will help us out so much. Thank you." Entei says. Heatran and Drendan say nothing as they turn and leave the cave. Entei follows the duo and leaves the mountains within a few minutes. During the rush, the trio hopes that Raikou and Darkrai are safe at wherever they are.

-ooo-

Meanwhile, a large figure flies through a deserted valley as it looks around desperately for its captives. It has checked everywhere and inspected each plateau and sandy dune carefully to see if the trio were hiding from him.

Terotrey growls at his luck as he snarls. "Raikou… Darkrai… Ash Ketchum… Where are you three?" He thinks aloud darkly. "You can't hide forever… I will find you…"

He then feels a sharp sting on his palm. He glances at his hand and watches his bleeding hand vaporize before it turns solid once more. He knows that somehow, someway, he is still alive after everything that happened. After his treason against Alpha and Omega and his encounter with the Legendaries, he is still alive…

Terotrey smirks as he thinks about a certain Legendary that was exiled not too long ago. He suddenly calls out to her. "Blackfire!"

He waits until a shadowy aura appears before him. It takes the form of a large horse and blinks its purple eyes at him. Its black fur flows gracefully through the wind while the silver horn on its forehead twinkles.

"Yes, Terotrey?" The mysterious feminine being holds her head up high as she closes her eyes in an unimpressed manner. Terotrey smirks as he places his scaly hand on Blackfire's cheek. He ignores her tense reaction as he leans closely to her face.

"I want you to summon the robots to me. It seems that I cannot find my captives. Since two of them are Legendaries, the robots should still be able to locate them." Terotrey says unusually softly.

Blackfire's eyes widen when she hears this. Legendaries? Many emotions run through Blackfire; guilt for betraying her old mate and Legendary friends; anger for Terotrey and the things that he has forced her and the other exiled Legendaries to do; shame for everything that she has done herself; and sorrow for the things that she and her exiled allies are forced to do for the sake of protecting her daughter.

Blackfire wisely says nothing as she gives the demon a dirty look. Refusal would end up having Terotrey giving her punishment. Even begging him to spare the Legendaries would end up getting Blackfire punished. She could only do what she is permitted to do; remain silent.

Terotrey smirks knowingly. "Well said, Blackfire. Very well said." He whispers. Then he kisses her forehead and purposely ignores her flinch. Without another word, he flies off and resumes his search for the heroes.

Blackfire waits until Terotrey is gone before she lets out her disgust. She shudders at remembering his cold touch before she turns serious and remembers her job. She sighs as her form fades into the shadows. After a moment of silence, she quietly cries out her anguish and shame.

"Arceus… Crystal…_ I'm so sorry…_"

**Comments would be appreciated, please!**


	4. Chapter 4: Rescue

**Hey, guys! Sorry for the late update, but here's the next chapter. **

**I want to thank you guys for the many votes; that tells me that this story is good. I might keep my focus onto this story, but I wanna hear comments about the story; tell me why you guys love it. Tell me if you love the plot, the characters, anything! I wanna hear some sort of feedback as I update. And keep in mind that I'm changing only a few things, but otherwise the plot is the same. Thanks again for the votes and don't forget to see the characters' pics and bios on my DeviantArt Account (for anyone who doesn't know, my DeviantArt account is LMV2003).**

**I thank GFS for letting me make this sequel possible!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 4: Rescue**

"So let me get this straight…"

Ash massages his temples and sighs in frustration. He rests against the plateau cave that he and the two Legendaries have been hiding in for the whole night. Darkrai sits at the other side of the small cave and brushes a strand of his albino hair away from his face. Raikou lies next to the phantom while he explains about their predicament to the human.

"You guys fought a crazy professor named Terotrey Horrifiance and have managed to beat him and his army of Rockets and robotic Pokemon. But now he has somehow returned and is planning to fulfill his revenge on you two?"

Raikou nods grimly. "Yep, that's it." He sits up while Darkrai narrows his eyes in deep thought.

"But how am I involved in this?" The young trainer asks. Raikou shrugs. "I dunno…"

No one says anything for a long while. Then Darkrai says, "We need to keep moving. Terotrey is going to find us if we stay here for too long."

Raikou and Darkrai nod in agreement while Darkrai looks outside cautiously. Once Ash is on Raikou's back, the men run out of the cave. Darkrai leads the trio towards the sandy dunes while Raikou and Ash occasionally look around for danger.

Raikou grows uneasy as he continues to run. This is exactly what happened when he and Darkrai encountered Terotrey almost a month ago. The memory has given Raikou nightmare for weeks and he greatly wishes that this situation is just another bad dream. Then Raikou tries to look at the bright side. Darkrai and Raikou both have their legendary status and they are sure that Entei, Suicune, and Cresselia have gathered up the other Legendaries to come save them. If they are lucky, Raikou and Darkrai might distract Terotrey long enough to trick him into falling down into the lake of lava that isn't too far ahead of the trio.

But the main problem with the plan is that Ash is with them. The two Legendaries cannot give the human up to save themselves. And besides, they don't even know what Terotrey has planned to do with them.

When the trio reaches to the lake of lava, they hesitate as they stare at the unstable environment. There is some land large enough to let them walk through the area but the ground is weak and very thin. So with careful but tense movements, Raikou shakily walks through the cratered grounds and tries his best to avoid being hit by spluttering flames. Ash clings onto Raikou tightly while the thunder tiger continues to walk through the volcanic terrain. Darkrai has no problem reaching to the other side since he can fly. Darkrai reaches to the end first and waits patiently for his Legendary companion to cross the terrain. Once Raikou is by Darkrai's side, he sighs in relief while Darkrai rolls his eyes.

The Legendaries resume running through the sandy dunes and continue to scout around for any signs of danger. Suddenly a massive earthquake makes the heroes stop. The winds turn still and Darkrai instinctively slams Raikou down against a sand dune. The trio remains still as they wait for the earthquake to stop. When everything turns quiet, Darkrai hesitates before he decides to look over the dune…

… And comes face-to-face with a cybertronic Blaziken.

Darkrai pales while the Blaziken stares emotionlessly down at him. After a moment of silence, an alarm starts to blare out loudly.

"_Essences! Essences!_"

"RUN FOR IT!" Darkrai screams as he jumps down from the slope. He pushes a panicked Raikou away when the Blaziken shoots a Flamethrower attack on them. Raikou snaps out of his stupor and runs with Darkrai by his side. Ash holds onto Raikou tightly while the thunder tiger uses Agility to speed up his pace.

The Blaziken also uses Agility and catches up to the Legendaries. Then it punches Raikou crudely on the jaw. Raikou shouts in pain as he stumbles back and collides against Darkrai. The trio then crash against the sand in a tangled heap. The men quickly untangle themselves while Raikou rubs his sore jaw. He's thankful that it isn't broken, but he knows that he's going to get more than just black eyes and bruises if the Legendaries don't find a way to get back home.

When the men stand up, they realize that they are surrounded by numerous cybertronic Pokemon. The robots snarl as they advance closer to the trio. Darkrai and Raikou stand protectively over Ash as they prepare to attack.

"Any ideas?" Darkrai asks breathlessly as she shoots a Shadow Ball at a robotic Blastoise. Raikou replies, "One, but I need you to take Ash and hide in the shadows."

Darkrai raises a brow but shrugs before he punches away a robotic Beedrill. Then he turns around, grabs Ash, and fades into the shadows.

Raikou nods before he spreads his legs apart and prepares to unleash his most powerful attack. Sparks crackle around his body as he narrows his eyes into thin slits. The robots continue to advance towards him until they see the sparks. Immediately realizing what the Legendary is doing, they widen their eyes in alarm.

Raikou roars as he unleashes Thunder. The robots scream as they are electrified by the powerful attack. The attack continues until Raikou falls down in exhaustion. That attack has drained a lot of his energy and he greatly hopes that it would hold back the robots for at least a while. The robots are in too much pain to move and they would only twitch every now and then.

A few moments later, Darkrai comes up from the shadows with a bewildered Ash in his arms. They look around in surprise before they walk over to Raikou. The thunder tiger pants while sweat forms on his forehead.

"You did good, kid," Darkrai says as he kneels down and pets Raikou's head. Ash just stares at the thunder tiger in awe. He apparently had no idea of how powerful the young Legendary is.

Suddenly the heroes hear clapping and freeze. They turn to look at the intruder and feel their hearts stop when they see the last person that they want to deal with.

Terotrey Horrifiance.

The doctor smirks as he walks towards the heroes. He continues to clap as his maroon eyes glow brightly in triumph. His silver hair flows gracefully as Terotrey smirks specifically at Raikou.

"Well done, Raikou. You've beaten a good number of my robots." Terotrey chuckles as he stands before the heroes. Raikou forces himself to stand up as he backs away. Darkrai holds a protective arm over Ash as he glares at Terotrey darkly. Terotrey puts his hands in his pockets and smiles sadistically.

"As you can see, I'm still alive and breathing." Terotrey then begins to walk around the trio casually. The men watch his movement carefully as he continues speaking. "But not in the way that you think."

The men raise their brows while Terotrey smirks and chuckles. Then he takes out a glimmering pocketknife and holds it up. Seeing the weapon terrifies the trio as they step back cautiously. Suddenly Terotrey brings up his free hand and cuts his palm. But instead of blood, black vapor seeps from the wound. The heroes gasp in disbelief as they watch the palm heal up as if nothing has happened.

Terotrey chuckles at the heroes' bewildered looks. "As you can see, I cannot be harmed. Any attack will automatically go through my skin. However, I can only be harmed if I am unprepared." He brings up his hand and the heroes see teeth marks on Terotrey's hand. Terotrey glares at the uneasy thunder tiger as his voice darkens. "Since you bit me, I now have to be more cautious about what I do. It seems that I have underestimated you before… But no more."

Terotrey throws his head back and lets out a beastly roar. The ground shakes and the heroes cover their ears and wince. Terotrey then looks at the heroes and holds up his arms as the winds blow around them and transform into a funnel shape.

Darkrai and Raikou stand on their spots while Ash is nearly blown away by the tornado. Raikou quickly grabs Ash and places the human onto his back for support. Terotrey begins to speak in a foreign language and his words echo as his body turns black and begins to expand. The robots disappear inside the tornado and the winds pick up more speed as Terotrey speaks out louder. The heroes could only watch in horror as Terotrey's form overshadows them. The winds and earthquake seem to worsen the larger Terotrey grows.

When the shadowy being stops growing, everything stops as it begins to take complete shape and color.

Silver long hair…

Silver scaly skin…

A colossal body…

Terotrey is once again a deadly dragon.

Terotrey glares at the trio with deep hatred as they gaze up at him in fear and horror. The heroes have no hope escaping this time. Raikou and Darkrai escaped Terotrey through sheer luck last time, and they doubt that fate will be on their favor again this time. They're all dead.

The heroes back away when the dragon takes a giant step towards them. The earth shakes from the impact and the heroes lean against each other for support. Darkrai gasps when he sees Terotrey opening his mouth to summon a powerful blast. The phantom quickly pushes the thunder tiger away just as Terotrey shoots at them. The impact of the blast sends the heroes flying a few feet away into the unforgiving sand. The heroes quickly dig themselves out of the sand before they look for Terotrey. When they see him powering up for another blast, Raikou grabs Ash and throws the human onto his back before he and Darkrai run towards the direction opposite of Terotrey. They run side by side as they avoid Terotrey's beams. Ash clings onto the thunder tiger due to how fast the Legendary is going and prays that he doesn't fall. Terotrey seems to be taking his time as he walks slowly towards the heroes and continues to shoot at them.

The Legendaries continue to run before they come across a lake of magma. They stop and stare at it in disbelief and panic before another blast snaps them back into reality. They turn around and see Terotrey closing in on them.

Darkrai and Raikou then glance at each other and nod before they turn to face Terotrey. Darkrai helps Ash off the tiger and points at the narrow path through the lake of magma.

"Run and save yourself, kid," Darkrai orders quickly. "We'll hold him off."

Ash is about to protest, but another blast interrupts him. With another push, the Legendaries yell at the human to run. The boy hesitates before he does what he is told and runs through the narrow path of land through the magma lake. As soon as he makes it to the other side, he hides behind a large boulder to watch the Legendaries.

Terotrey chuckles as he glances down at the Legendaries. He snorts at their determined looks.

Darkrai uses Dark Pulse while Raikou uses Thunderbolt on the dragon. However, the attacks go through the villain like ghosts. The duo stare in bewilderment before they try again. Darkrai shoots various Shadow Balls while Raikou uses Thunder. But the more powers they use, the more tired the Legendaries become.

Terotrey laughs as the attacks go through him. He smirks as the Legendaries pant and kneel down in exhaustion. "You cannot defeat me! I am and will be the new God!" Terotrey cackles. Then he summons another blast and the Legendaries could only watch in horror as he shoots it at them.

"NO!" Ash cries out as the blast hits the Legendaries. The human watches the duo being blown away towards the plateau and crash against a wall before they disappear over the cliff. Horrified, Ash runs towards their direction and avoids Terotrey's blasts as best as he could. When he reaches to the plateau, he rushes towards the wall and looks for any signs of the Legendaries. He coughs as he walks through the dust cloud and looks for his missing companions. But when he sees the Legendaries, he couldn't hold back his cry of horror.

Darkrai and Raikou are heavily injured. Darkrai's old wounds have reopened and new wounds have appeared on his chest and arms. His skin is now dark red due to how much blood he is losing. Raikou's yellow fur has small red rivers of blood leaking from his body and he has a very bad purple bruise on his right eye. The duo's faces are scrunched up in pain and anguish, but they showed no signs of moving.

Ash rushes down to the heroes. He shakes them gently on their shoulders. "Guys…? Please get up…" The human pleads. When he receives no response, Ash panics. If they don't get up soon, then all three of them are going to die (if the Legendaries aren't dead already).

"Please, guys! I need you both to get up! We need to get out of here!"

Again, no response. Ash begins to cry as he shakes the Legendaries harder. An evil laugh erupts from behind him. Ash turns around and faces Terotrey's triumphant sneer. Seeing the monster makes Ash feel like he would die from fright.

"Why are you doing this to us…?" Ash asks fearfully through his tears. Terotrey snorts.

"Raikou and Darkrai have stopped me from trying to create a perfect world. All I ever wanted was to set things right so there would only be good and no more evil. The Legendaries have done nothing but destroy the world and use it as their battlefield to solve their own problems even though they claim to be Earth's protectors. They say that there is always a balance between good and evil, but that is a lie. In my entire lifetime, all I have seen is evil deeds. So where is the goodness in them? Why does it not balance out?"

Ash is silent as he stares at the dragon and thinks about his statement. Darkrai and Raikou haven't told him exactly why Terotrey has tried to destroy them, but now it makes sense somewhat. Ash himself does wonder about why the Legendaries don't help solve other people's problems, but he knows that it's just a part of life. Nothing is perfect.

Then he thinks of a possible way to persuade the dragon. "Because nobody's perfect."

Terotrey snaps his head up to glare at the boy with bewilderment and annoyance. Seeing this as a sign to continue, Ash speaks again. "It's natural to have good and evil in everyone, even in the Legendaries. Nothing we do goes according to plan, but we learn from our mistakes. We just need to do the best in our lives and try to make what we want happen. If everyone is the same, then there would be no balance between good and evil. Mistakes cannot be avoided, but they can be fixed. The best thing we can do is to learn from them and to forgive and forget. Everyone deserves a second chance even if they don't deserve it."

Ash feels confident by the time he finishes his speech. He never felt so mature in his life. He looks at Terotrey's stunned look and hopes that the dragon could see his message. Hopefully he will forgive the Legendaries and let them go.

Suddenly, Terotrey shakes his head and snarls at Ash. The human flinches and trips over the unconscious Legendaries as he gazes up at the tyrant in terror.

"THE LEGENDS CANNOT BE FORGIVEN FOR ALL THEY HAVE DONE! THEY MUST ALL PAY FOR THEIR SINS!" Terotrey's voice roars. Then the dragon throws his head back and lets out a furious roar. A few feet away from the heroes, a small dimensional portal opens and a shadowed figure pops out with a gun in its hand. It lands on the rocky terrain and looks around. When it sees the heroes, it uses Agility and rushes down the cliff towards the heroes.

"But why did you capture me then? How am I involved with this?" Ash asks meekly. Terotrey snorts. "Boy, you are involved because a prophesy about you and the Legendaries has been made. And anyone that allies with the Legendaries must be taught a lesson…"

Ash blinks in confusion while Terotrey opens his mouth and prepares for a blast. Ash could feel his heart stop as he covers his eyes and waits for extreme pain to hit him.

He pauses when nothing happens and he looks up cautiously. He then realizes that Terotrey is gone and grows confused. Somewhat relieved, Ash stands up and slowly walks over to the edge of the cliff and looks around. He can see Terotrey floating in the air with his head in his claws. The dragon is roaring out as his face is contorted into pain. The boy wonders about if the dragon might be having a brain seizure as the dragon lands onto the ground on his knees.

Suddenly an Aura Sphere is shot out from Ash's side and hits Terotrey's arm. The dragon and human turn and see a new being in the area. A female black and white Grovyle walks down the plateau cliff as she summons another Aura Sphere and shoots it at Terotrey's chest. On closer inspection, Ash could see that she has a digital watch on her wrist and a Star Piece necklace around her neck.

The Grovyle's gold eyes flash as she shoots another Aura Sphere at Terotrey's left eye. The dragon roars in pain and clutches his eye as Ash stares at the Grovyle in amazement. What kind of Pokémon is she?

"Get behind me." The Grovyle says suddenly as she pulls Ash behind her. Ash is stupefied. "You can talk too?"

The Grovyle ignores Ash as she keeps shooting Aura Spheres at the dragon. Deciding that the dragon has had enough, the lizard calls out to him. "Terotrey, this nonsense must stop right now! Release my mother and the other captives and we can all get along nicely!"

Terotrey shakes his head before he looks at the Grovyle. His face contorts into anger, disgust, and hatred. "Crystalline! How dare you to interrupt my revenge!"

"I dare perfectly well! I'm only stopping you and your reign of terror! I will repeat myself once more; release my mother and the other captives at once!" Ash just stares at the bickering duo in bewilderment. They know each other?

Darkrai and Raikou wake up from their temporary coma and groan as they sit up and rub their heads. They wonder why Terotrey hasn't finished them off yet. Soon their hearing adjusts and they could hear shouting. They look up and see Ash standing behind a black and white Grovyle. The feminine lizard seems to be having a shouting competition with a somewhat wounded dragon before her. The Legendaries raise their brows before they decide to feign unconsciousness and listen to the duo. Is the Grovyle the reason why they haven't been blown to smithereens yet?

"I think not, Crystal! Your mother is perfectly happy with her place. Isn't that right, Blackfire?" Terotrey turns to his side. A shadowy aura takes shape next to him and forms into a being similar to Arceus. She has black fur and a silver horn on her forehead instead of the golden arch around her torso. Her lavender eyes glow brightly as she stares somewhat sadly at the white Grovyle. Raikou and Darkrai's eyes widen in disbelief and awe. "Blackfire…" They murmur.

"Mother!" Crystal cries out suddenly as she steps up. The black feminine Arceus floats down and nuzzles her snout against the Grovyle's small body as the lizard hugs her face. The heroes stare in bewilderment while Terotrey smirks darkly.

"There, there, my dear." Blackfire coos softly as she rubs her cheek against the Grovyle. "It's going to be all right. You'll see."

"But why?" The Grovyle breaks away and looks up sadly at her mother. "Why are you doing this to us?"

"Because she wants to protect you," Terotrey sneers as he wraps a possessive arm around the feminine being. "She has agreed to work for me as my queen as long as I don't harm you or your midget friends." He smirks at Blackfire and kisses her cheek. Blackfire flinches while the boys retch in disgust and disbelief.

Crystal's eyes flash as she growls. Then she summons another Aura Sphere as she glares at the dragon. "Keep your hands off her, Terotrey!" Then she shoots the sphere at Terotrey's face. The impact makes Terotrey let go of Blackfire and stumble back as he rubs his face. Although relieved by being free, Blackfire stares disapprovingly at her daughter. "Crystal, stop this at once!" She whispers harshly.

"I'm doing only what I must, Mother!" Crystal protests. The Legendaries finally stand up and stand beside Ash as they stare at the scene. They don't know what's going on and they need answers.

Suddenly Terotrey yanks Blackfire towards him. He snarls as he glares at Crystal with hatred and disgust. The Grovyle only glares back as she takes a battle stance.

"This isn't over yet, Crystal!" Terotrey snarls. Then he speaks in a foreign language until purple smog forms around him. Suddenly the smog takes the forms of various flying cybertronic Pokémon. The robots glare viciously at the panicked heroes.

"Kill them all except for the Grovyle!" Terotrey orders. Blackfire struggles under his grasp but he refuses to let go of her as he turns away and summons a new portal. He turns to smirk at Crystal. "You won't be able to save the boys now, Crystalline! So long!" He waves mockingly before he lets out an evil laugh and disappears into the portal with a protesting Blackfire in his grasp.

"Mother!" Crystal cries out as she reaches out to the portal. But she stops when a robotic Fearow charges at her. She quickly jumps out of the way and lands before the stunned boys. She turns to look at them. "Get to lower ground!" She orders as she slides down the cliff. The boys glance at each other before they follow her after more robots charge after them.

As soon as they are on the sandy ground, Crystal stops and turns to face the robots. Then she shoots several Aura Spheres at the advancing robots. But more seem to appear the more she shoots.

Darkrai and Raikou decide to help the girl and use their powers to stop the robots. Even though their wounds drain their energy, they refuse to give up without a fight. During the fight, Raikou rushes over to the girl and loudly asks, "Who are you?"

"I can't talk right now! I'm too busy beating up robots that don't have brains or guts!" Crystal snaps as she punches a robotic Pidgeotto on the beak. When she notices that they are outnumbered, she calls out to the boys.

"Stand back! Hide behind a boulder quickly!" She orders as she spreads her legs and takes several deep breaths. The boys do what they are told and hide behind a nearby large boulder as the robots begin to advance towards the female lizard. The heroes peek over the boulder to anxiously see what is going to happen.

Suddenly Crystal's eyes glow brightly while she stares at open space. Then her whole body begins to glow and the heroes hide behind the boulder to avoid being blinded. The robots begin to back away in alarm and some even hide behind boulders for shelter. Crystal mutters something in a foreign language before a huge explosion of light erupts. The heroes can hear screams of pain from the robots during the attack and wait until the flash ends. When they peer over the boulder, they see several unconscious robots. Crystal sways a bit before she falls down to her knees and pants in exhaustion.

After silence, the startled heroes come out of their hiding spot and walk towards the Grovyle.

"Kid… Did you just use Judgment?" Darkrai asks. He looks just as shocked and awed as he sounds. Crystal nods weakly and coughs slightly. The phantom helps her up to her feet and supports her shoulder as he continues to stare at her.

"Wow…" Raikou and Ash say as they look at the robots. Their awe turns into horror when they see more robots coming out from behind boulders. The robots snarl as they advance towards the heroes.

"Aw, come on!" Crystal whines as she watches the robots. She tries to summon an Aura Sphere but winces when the attempt drains her energy. Darkrai holds Crystal up as he and the other two back away from the robots. They pray that Alpha and Omega would give them some sort of a miracle.

Suddenly a portal opens above the heroes and a giant bulldozer lands right on top of the robots. The robots shriek in pain before they fall unconscious. The four heroes blink in bewilderment. What just happened?

The cloud dust around the bulldozer fades away and the heroes could see a giant red 'R' insignia on the side of the machine. The machine belongs to none other than Team Rocket. But what is it doing in here?

"Cryssy! Oh, Cryssy!"

A feminine voice calls out the Grovyle's name in a cheerful tone. The boys watch as the latch door on top of the machine opens and a pink and black Lucario's head pops out. When she sees the heroes, she waves childishly as she jumps down and greets the Grovyle.

Crystal smiles as she limps over to her best friend. The girls exchange a sisterly hug. "Laki, you got here just in time. As always…" She smirks as she points at the bulldozer.

Laki sees the robots under the bulldozer and smiles sheepishly as she sweat-drops. "Oopsie… I always was the good parker…" She giggles.

"_Sure_ you are Laki," A ghostly voice says sarcastically. The heroes freeze when they see a feminine Darkrai float out of the bulldozer and head towards the girls with crossed arms. Darkrai tenses when he sees another of his species standing before him.

"Shut up, Vi. You can't park a jet yourself," Laki counters as she glares at the ghost's red eyes. Violet returns the glare but has an amused smile on her lips. "Touché."

"What are you girls arguing about now?" Another voice asks. Suddenly a Gallade jumps out of the bulldozer and lands gracefully beside the girls. The heroes notice that instead of swords, he has humanoid hands and swords with sheathes strapped onto his back. The Gallade looks at the girls with amused eyes.

"Let's not worry about that now," Another voice says. The heroes look up and see a being that looks like Deoxys land beside Gallade. The only differences between him and Deoxys are their arm and head structures. The being places his hands on his hips and looks strict. "We got robots to fight."

Crystal snorts. "I already took care of most of them. Laki was generous enough to park the bulldozer at the right place at the right time." She points at the robots and the Pokémon chuckle.

Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash only watch in bewilderment until the phantom decides that enough is enough. He clears his throat and earns the Pokémon's attention. The creatures stare at each other in silence until Crystal steps up and offers a hand.

"You asked earlier about who I am." She looks at Raikou. The thunder tiger nods. "I am Crystalline, but friends call me Crystal or Cryssy. You may." She smiles. "I'm the leader of a group of Pokémon that have joined together to stop Terotrey and his plans for world domination. We plan to fix everything that he has damaged and destroyed."

Then Crystal walks over to Laki. "This is Lacaria, a.k.a. Laki. She's my best friend and the second in command of the army." The jackal smiles and waves cheerfully at the men before Crystal walks over to the DNA being.

"This is Ribo, my second best friend and the brains of the team." Since he doesn't have a mouth, Ribo only nods politely to the heroes. Crystal then walks over to Violet.

"This is Violet, my second best girl friend and the third in command." Violet only gives a short nod as she looks at the heroes skeptically, particularly Darkrai. Raikou could sense that he has another nightmare being to deal with, so he wisely decides not to try to piss Violet off in any way. Crystal walks over to Gallade.

"And this is Gallade, the trainer of our soldiers and my second best guy friend." Gallade smiles and bows formally to the heroes with a fist over his chest.

Then Crystal faces the heroes and bows before them with her own fist over her chest. Her friends do the same behind her. "It is an honor to finally meet you, Legendary Raikou, Legendary Darkrai, and Ash Ketchum."

The men look flabbergasted. "You know us?" Raikou asks. Crystal stands up and smiles at him. "Of course. Our whole army knows of the creators of life and the human who has helped them multiple times."

Raikou and Ash look sheepish while Darkrai looks thoughtful. Then he looks suspicious. "How is Blackfire your mother?" He demands.

Raikou and Ash look intrigued. Raikou and Darkrai haven't seen Blackfire for over 1,500 years and are surprised to know that she has a daughter. They know that she was banished because she was pregnant, but could this child be the reason for her exile? Ash has heard a legend about Blackfire when he was younger but for some reason she disappeared out of nowhere. In the human world, she was only rumored to be Arceus' old mate.

Crystal sighs. "I don't look like it now, but I was once the same species as my mother was."

When the boys hold blank looks, she says, "You see, after I was born, I've taken the disguise of the Grovyle species because they were my favorite creatures at the time. But a long time ago, Terotrey's ancestors have managed to capture me and my mother. They've performed tests on us and did something that makes me stay like this. No matter what I try to do, I cannot transform back into my true form and I cannot age. I've stayed like this for over 1,500 years and I haven't changed a bit. Terotrey's ancestors have threatened my mother to stay loyal to them if she wants me to stay alive. For over 1,500 years, my mother and I have stayed hidden under our owners' watch."

"Since I was so naïve back then, I started questioning the man of the family about why he hurts innocent Pokémon. But my questions would only force the humans to beat me for my stupidity. Then one day I suggested to my mother about running away. Somehow the humans have overheard me and took me away for a long while. They put me to sleep for a long while and I woke up back in my mother's cage. I figured that they must have beaten me harshly. I still have the scars up to this day."

Crystal turns around and shows the boys her back. She uses her psychic powers to display the hidden scars on her back. Several of them look like they have gone through to the bone while others look burnt. The boys grimace in horror and sympathy.

Crystal turns around to face the men after she hides her scars. "After that, I never spoke to anyone for a long time. Then about a month later, I decided to sneak off on my own. When I escaped and snuck to the main gate, I met Laki. It turns out that she was captured and experimented on the same way as I was. We agreed to work together and successfully escaped. I promised my mother that I would free her once I find a way to stop Terotrey."

"A few centuries later, I managed to sneak into her cage to talk to her. I was so happy to see her again and then she gave me this necklace." Crystal holds up her Star Piece amulet. "She told me to keep it with me at all times since it's very important. I don't know why, but I never questioned my mother and kept my promise. I left with the promise to free my mother the next time I come for her. I haven't seen her since until just a few moments ago…"

The boys couldn't help but feel sympathetic for the girl. Crystal and her mother have gone through a tough time and were separated because of it. Crystal has risked a lot for the sake of justice and had to grow up so fast at such a young age.

Crystal suddenly looks guilty. "I am not happy about what has happened to us, but I'm going to try to fix everything that Terotrey has done. I've given him several chances to give in but he's too stubborn to accept them. It's like Ash has said; everyone deserves a second chance even though they don't deserve it."

Ash smiles and simply nods. There is silence as a gentle wind blows through the heroes and soothes their nerves somewhat.

Darkrai looks thoughtful as he stares at Crystal carefully. She barely looks anything like Blackfire with the exception of the black marks on her body. Her white skin is unusually bright and smooth looking while her eyes seem familiar for some reason. The gold eyes are fierce and command total respect but are just as gentle and soothing. Where has he seen these eyes before?

Darkrai looks at the Grovyle. "How old did you say that you were, kid?"

The Grovyle blinks before she thinks. "I am 1,500 years old… Why do you ask?"

Darkrai was about to ask who her father was, but then thinks the better of it. He'll talk to Raikou about it later. "No reason." He shrugs.

Crystal raises a brow before she shrugs. If Darkrai wants to know about how old she is, then Crystal has no problem admitting it. Darkrai cannot exactly rub it on her face since Crystal knows that Darkrai is infinitely older than her by several millenniums.

"OK, then." Laki purposely breaks up the awkward silence. "Cryssy, why did you have us bring this bulldozer anyway?"

Crystal shrugs. "I was planning to let you guys run over the robots in case Terotrey decides to call them. But since you have landed on the rest, it works just as good."

Violet looks somewhat annoyed. "… You have any idea how long it took for us to get it?"

"Yeah, and I appreciate the effort, Vi." Crystal smiles at Violet. The phantom is about to snap before Crystal turns to the heroes. She takes a good look at the Legendaries. "Right now, we need to get these boys back to the base so we can heal them up."

"You still didn't tell me about how you know me." Ash suddenly says. Crystal sighs. "Ash, I know you because of the stories about you helping the Legendaries. But like Terotrey has said, you are involved with a prophesy alongside the Legendaries. I promise that I'll explain about that later but we need to get going. Terotrey probably knows by now that we're not dead and is coming to see what's going on."

Ash says nothing while Crystal turns away and presses several buttons on her watch. Suddenly a holograph shows up and the face of a Rhyperior pops up. The rocky Pokémon grins at Crystal through the call. "Hey, Cryssy! What's up?"

Crystal smiles. "Hey, Rocky. I need you to make a dimensional portal appear in Terotrey's Realm approximately at A163- 3636."

"Ooh, got stuck there?" Rocky laughs.

"You can say that. We got three injured men that need immediate medical care. I'd warp us all out of here but my watch is about to die." Then Crystal glances at her friends' sheepish smiles. "And judging by the look on the other guys' faces, their watches are about to die as well."

Rocky nods. "Understood. Just give me a few seconds and I'll get you guys out of there." Then the Rhyperior cuts off the call. The Grovyle turns to face the heroes.

"OK, guys. Let's get ready." Crystal claps her hands together as she faces the heroes. "Boys, we'll heal you up at our base and you can stay with us for the day. I have no doubt that your fight with Terotrey is exhausting."

"Thanks, but no," Darkrai shakes his head politely. "We'll be fine, but we-" He suddenly groans and clutches his side. He looks down and sees blood seeping from his waist.

"Tauros crap," Laki protests as she and Violet rush over to hold the phantom up by the shoulders. Crystal grabs Ash while Gallade and Ribo support a dreary Raikou. Laki continues to scold Darkrai. "You are in no shape to move." She looks at his old wounds and grimaces. "You might get blood poison if you don't attend to these old cuts soon."

"Besides, we don't want any of the other Legendaries to know about anything quite yet." Crystal adds as she hoists Ash onto her back.

"What are you talking about?" Raikou raises a brow as Crystal walks past him. She stops and faces the thunder tiger with a stern look on her face. "When we let you guys return to your home, you must not speak about any of this to anyone. Not about Terotrey, not about my mother, not even about us. If anything, pretend that none of this has ever happened. Forget everything and go back to your daily duties."

The three heroes stare at the girl as if she is a lunatic. "At least let us tell the others about Terotrey." Raikou pleads. "We have a history together. Everyone's going to wonder about why we suddenly disappeared. Entei, Suicune, and Cresselia saw us being taken away and we cannot make up a lie about that. We'll tell the others that Terotrey captured us and that we managed to trick him again into letting us escape. We won't say anything about you guys, I swear."

Crystal looks thoughtful as she stares at the men. She can understand their predicament, but it won't be safe involving more people into the war. But if they're lucky, then the Legendaries might help them with their predicament. If they have any hope of stopping Terotrey, then the Legendaries and Ash have to be involved in order to fulfill the prophesy.

"… Fine."

"Huh?" Raikou's ears perk up.

"You may tell the others about Terotrey, but that's it. However, I want to see you three every day for training." At the boys' blank looks, Crystal explains herself. "Terotrey knows and will expect every Pokémon's attack method, but there are a few moves that he doesn't even know that exist. My friends and I can teach you three those moves."

The boys look hesitant before they nod in agreement. Suddenly a portal appears behind the heroes and the Pokémon see white and black zigzag patterns.

"There's our ride." Crystal says as she walks towards the portal. Darkrai and Raikou hesitate. The last time they went into a portal, it nearly sent them down to their deaths.

Gallade senses their hesitation. "Don't worry, guys. Just hold on to us and you'll be fine."

"Okay…" The Legendaries say nervously as they are pulled into the vortex. As they travel down the endless portal, the heroes experience the overwhelming relief of being saved from their nightmare.

They're finally going back home.

**Feedback and comments, please!**


	5. Chapter 5: Search, Discussion, Discovery

**Another update! By the by, people, I really appreciate the support for this story but I need more feedback! Tell me what you love about this story that makes it so great! Any comments about the chapters would be nice as well! Also, Glory and I had a talk. We have agreed to let this story be the main sequel for 'Exile' since Glory doesn't plan on posting 'Sanctuary' for a long time.**

**Also, pictures of all the OCs (including Glory's) are on my Deviantart Account. Please check them out and leave feedback about them! Otherwise enjoy the chapter; I altered it a bit.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 5: Search, Discussion, and Discovery**

Everyone is busy. They are out in every dimension that Palkia can think of but they still have no luck on finding their missing Legendary friends.

Arceus, Cresselia, Suicune, and Entei rest in the Hall of Legends after several hours of searching. They rest against the golden pedestals as they watch numerous portals flickering above them. Palkia has summoned several portals that floated in midair or hung on the ceiling, wall, or floor. As the God, Arceus carefully countered the number of assistants before they entered each portal. The Pokémon have left to search through each portal and have been gone for hours.

Suicune sighs as she lowers her head tiredly. Cresselia and Entei do the same as their expressions sadden. The Legendaries really miss Raikou and Darkrai; they hope that someone would find the duo soon. Arceus glances at the trio compassionately before he looks back at the portals and waits for something to happen.

As Suicune and Entei close their eyes and relax, Cresselia thinks about her lover. The very last night that they had together was magical. Cresselia couldn't describe the passion and ecstasy that ran through her while Darkrai made love with her. Even though the act is forbidden, Cresselia does not regret it for one bit. It suddenly hits Cresselia that yesterday is probably the last day that she will ever see her lover again.

Suddenly, a portal makes a whirring sound and Jeff and Skyler jump out. They groan as they shake snow off themselves and sneeze. They both have red noses and some icicles hanging off their bodies. The duo shiver tremendously.

"Did you find them?" Suicune asks as she looks up at the duo. Skyler rubs his arms and shivers while the Roselia on his snout crosses his legs and arms and shivers. The poor flower is blue and his petals have turned crispy.

"No..." Skyler says through chattered teeth. He immediately rushes over to a bewildered Entei and rests near the fire lion.

"T-They aren't in… In… The F-Frozen Di-Dimension…" Jeff adds as he opens his eyes painfully. He covers himself with Skyler's tail as he rests against Entei's fur and sighs in content. The Legendaries feel bad for the duo. They are both weak against ice and now they are close to having a frostbite. Arceus decides to help.

"Here," He murmurs as he uses his telepathy to summon a pile of sticks to appear next to the duo. Entei then uses Ember to start a campfire. Skyler and Jeff smile happily and tiredly.

"T-Thanks..." Jeff murmurs before he closes his eyes and lets the heat lure him to sleep. After their bodies warm up, the duo fall right to sleep from exhaustion.

"Poor dears..." Cresselia murmurs as she lies beside Skyler to give him more body heat. Skyler smiles slightly before he closes his eyes and falls back to sleep. Cresselia smiles before she notices another portal flickering. Then Mewtwo, Deoxys, and two Growlithe jump out of a portal with tired eyes and sore bodies.

"Didn't find them," One Growlithe says lamely. Then the dogs walk over to Entei, rest against his fur, and fall soundly to sleep. The fire lion sweat-drops. Is he really going to be the heat-producing teddy bear that everyone will go to for naptime?

"We looked everywhere from top to bottom," Deoxys mutters as she wipes sweat off her forehead. Then she floats over to her pedestal and slumps down tiredly. Mewtwo sits beside her and runs a hand through his face. "I don't even know why they would be in there…"

Deoxys narrows her eyes at Mewtwo. She is about to retort when a voice cries out from a portal above them.

"Oh, Arceus! It was horrible!"

Everyone looks up and watches Shadow, Flame, Atsila, and Bouldarin jump out of the portal with their hands over their snouts. Tears brim their eyes as they inhale sharply.

"Three full hours of searching!" Shadow cries as she walks far away from the portal. Flame follows her with a cloth over his snout. "Arceus, it stinks like s**t!" Suddenly several Rhyhorns come out with pained expressions. They moan as they cough and wheeze for air. Arceus looks confused. "What…?"

"Bouldarin made us go into a dimension that leads to the human sewers! We had to breathe in the stinking air in there for three hours!" Flame points at the portal furiously.

"It isn't that bad, you guys are just overreacting..." Bouldarin mutters as he crosses his arms. The commotion wakes up one of the Growlithe and he walks over to sniff at the portal.

"I don't smell any..." He stops himself. "Oh… OH, ARCEUS!" Then the Growlithe vomits before he faints. The Legendaries sweat-drop and Bouldarin rolls his eyes. "Oh, whatever…"

"You ass, Bouldarin!" Flame yells as he points at his uncle. "Next time I'm going to choose a portal! And I'm going to make sure that it doesn't freakin' stink like the last one does!"

Bouldarin looks furious. "Mind your manners, kid! And I'm sorry if I didn't know that it was going to be Stink-Bomb Dimension! I seriously didn't know!"

"Enough, both of you!" Arceus stands up and walks between the duo. He looks at Flame and Bouldarin disapprovingly. "You are family and you shouldn't argue about something as insignificant as this. Besides, now is not the time. Raikou and Darkrai are still out there and we need to find them."

Flame and Bouldarin glare at each other but say no more as they huff and turn away. Atsila sighs as he shakes his head at them; they haven't learned to forgive each other in the last month and it's honestly starting to get depressing.

Soon another portal flickers and Heatran and Drendan jump out. The duo are soaking wet as they pant in exhaustion. Heatran looks like he has just witnessed a massacre while Drendan looks incredibly annoyed.

"Anything?" Arceus asks. The duo shake their heads and shake the water off them. The other Pokémon protest and shield themselves until the duo are dry. Heatran and Drendan relax as they rest nearby Suicune.

"They're not in the Aquatic Dimension..." Heatran grumbles as he lies down. Drendan crosses his arms and leans against a bench as he stares down at his feet. "Whoever took Raikou and Darkrai probably destroyed all the clues that they left behind. They are rather good at it…"

Then the Lucario looks up at Arceus. "Arceus, I do not think that this was done by any human, not even by Team Rocket."

"And why not?" Suicune asks as if Drendan had stated the most ridiculous thing on Earth. "If they were capable of finding Legendaries, then they should be capable of doing this."

"True, but I know for a fact that they cannot cover every crime that they commit, not even a capture. They always think through their plans carefully. I've been spying on Team Rocket for a while and they haven't mentioned anything about capturing Legendaries."

No one says anything. Then Cresselia asks, "Then who could have done it? It surely must be done by someone who has a thorough knowledge about Legendaries and who knows how to summon portals."

"That sounds like a Legendary to me. After all, no one knows about us better than we do." Mewtwo states. When the Pokémon give him disbelieving looks, Mewtwo adds, "I am not implying that one of the Legendaries did this. I've read everyone's mind and no one knows for sure what happened."

Again, there is silence. Suddenly Deoxys remembers something. A human that she encountered a while ago might be able to help. "There are a _few_ humans that know about us, right?"

"Yes?" Arceus asks as he looks at Deoxys curiously. Skyler and Jeff wake up and listen to the conversation.

"Do you guys know of a human named Ash Ketchum?"

The Pokémon blink and glance at each other. "Who's Ash Ketchum?" Jeff asks as he raises a brow.

"A human boy that has helped many Legendaries at different times." Mewtwo answers. When he sees the Roselia's blank look, he adds, "I'll explain later." Mewtwo looks at Deoxys. "What about the boy?"

Arceus looks very thoughtful. "I cannot locate that boy anywhere in the world. It's like he doesn't exists."

The Pokémon look up at the God with wide eyes. "How do you know that?" Deoxys asks.

"I've heard a prayer that concerns his safety, but I cannot find anyone under that name anywhere on Earth…"

"Do you think that he disappeared in the same way that Raikou and Darkrai did?" Skyler asks as he sits up.

Arceus shrugs. "I cannot say for sure." Then he looks at Mewtwo and Deoxys as they stand up. "Mewtwo and Deoxys, I want you both to go to Pallet Town, the hometown of Ash Ketchum, and find out what's going on there."

The duo nod in acknowledgement while Arceus looks at the other Pokémon. "The rest of you can look around Earth for any of the three boys. Spread the news so more people can help with our search."

"Do not worry, Arceus. We'll find them." Heatran says as he sits up and nods to the God. Drendan kneels down and crosses a fist over his chest before he follows the fire toad out of the room.

While the other Pokémon leave the room, Skyler and Jeff glance at each other before they look at the lingering Legendaries. "Um... what about us?" Jeff asks timidly.

Arceus looks down at the duo and chuckles kindly. "You can go too, young ones. I assume that you don't want to go search through any more portals?" When the duo hastily shake their heads in disgust, Arceus smirks. "I thought so. You may go with Deoxys and Mewtwo on their search."

The two Pokémon grin in approval. Mewtwo groans and contemplates on slamming his head against the wall out of misery. Deoxys only rolls her eyes at Mewtwo's immature behavior. _'What a baby…'_

-ooo-

Crystal leads the small group through the dimensional portal while Ash holds onto her neck for dear life. The speed that the heroes are going is overwhelming and the human is sure that he would vomit but he forces himself to hold back. Lacaria and Violet hold onto a bewildered Darkrai while Raikou practically clings onto Gallade and Ribo. The men wouldn't have minded Raikou's nervousness if he weren't digging his claws through their skins.

The heroes pass by several zigzag patterns for a long while until a bright light flashes before them. As soon as the heroes enter the light, they land on the grassy ground and sway a little from dizziness. Crystal glances at the human and notices that Ash looks a little green. She sweat-drops as he helps the human off her back quickly.

"You boys OK?" Crystal asks as she glances at the Legendaries. The duo groan and shake their heads before they glance at the reptile.

"Whoa…" Darkrai mutters as he rubs his head shakily. "That was a wild ride…"

"I'm sorry. I should have warned you guys about what the portal could do to you. It wasn't pleasant for me the first time either…" Crystal smiles sheepishly as her friends help the Legendaries maintain balance.

"Mmm..." The boys murmur as they look around. Suddenly their eyes widen in awe as they gape at the sight.

They are probably in the most beautiful meadow that is surrounded by tall cliffs. There were trees and flowers everywhere. A large lake with a large waterfall is at one corner of the meadow while a large courtyard is on another side of the area. There are various cave entrances around the cliffs. Various Pokémon are happily roaming by the land as they converse or play with each other. To put it bluntly, the place looks like a paradise.

Crystal smiles at the boys' stunned looks and holds out a hand. "Gentlemen… Welcome to the Garden of Eden."

"This is_ the _Garden of Eden?" Darkrai gapes in disbelief. Crystal nods.

"Yes. My mother gave this island to me just before we were captured by Terotrey's ancestors." Crystal says. Then she begins to walk towards the meadow and the heroes follow her. They pass by several Pokémon and the soldiers stare at the Legendaries and Ash in shock or awe. Crystal continues to speak as they walk through the meadow. "Mother has said that this land is the birthplace of all Legendaries. But only a few people know that this place still exists. It's actually a floating island that is cloaked by an invisibility spell. Only a selected few people can enter here as long as they have a watch that warps them to and from places." Crystal and her friends show their watches to the men. "We have programmed these watches to each and every local soldier here."

Crystal stops before the largest cave as she turns to the heroes. She looks at Darkrai and the phantom suddenly feels uneasy by her knowing look. "There is something about me that troubles you, isn't there?"

Darkrai stares at Crystal before he glances at a confused Raikou. When the thunder tiger glances questioningly at Darkrai, the phantom looks back at the patient lizard. Her gold eyes glitter brightly as she waits for the phantom to say something. Darkrai tries hard to remember where he has seen the eyes before; he knows that he knows someone that has the same gold eyes! Darkrai thinks hard; the only people that he knows that has gold eyes are Latias, Giratina, Arceus-

Darkrai freezes when the answer hits him like a mallet to the face. Arceus… Blackfire's unexplained pregnancy… The white fur… The same glowing eyes… There's no mistake about it and Darkrai cannot believe that he was so ignorant about it until now.

Crystalline is the daughter of-

"Hey, Cryssy!"

The lizard blinks as she turns and watches a Rhyperior and Charizard exiting the cave. When they see Crystal, they rush over to the lizard with happy smiles on their faces. But their robotic appendages set the Legendaries and Ash off.

They're cybertronic robots.

Darkrai and Raikou yell as they shoot a Spark and Shadow Ball at the pair. The duo yelp in fear and jump away while Crystal holds the Legendaries back. The blasts hit the wall and the impact causes several of the nearby Pokémon to panic.

"ENOUGH!" Crystal commands and everyone stops to stare at her. After Crystal takes a deep breath, she looks at the panicked Pokémon. "Please, there is no need to panic. This is just a misunderstanding. Back to your business; I'll fix this situation."

The Pokémon hesitate before they do as they are told and return to their duties. Some Pokémon linger to watch while Crystal turns to look disapprovingly at the Legendaries. They Rhyperior and Charizard hesitate before they step forward. The Legendaries narrow their eyes at the duo.

"Hey, we're on your side!" The Rhyperior holds up his hands in defense.

"Please do not fear us because of our… Unique conditions." The Charizard pleads. The heroes are surprised when they realize that the lizard is a female.

The Rhyperior has a scar across his left eye and even more scars around his body. He has a robotic right arm, a robotic peg that replaces his left leg, and silver sharp claws. Unlike the normal Rhyperior, he has yellow and gold chunky rocks around his body and his skin is as white as cream. Even though he looks rough, his gentle scarlet eyes hold compassion and amusement. The Charizard has bright orange skin and a glowing yellow stomach. She has tender sapphire eyes that show kindness and hospitality. She has a robotic left arm, a robotic right arm, retractable metallic wings, and a sharp and spiky metallic tail.

Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash almost shudder at the sight of the Pokémon. They wonder why Crystal is defending them both.

"Boys, these are my other close teammates." Crystal averts her attention to the robots. "Guys, these are Legendary Raikou, Legendary Darkrai, and Ash Ketchum." Then Crystal walks up to the Rhyperior and places a hand on his arm. "This is Rocky, the main military officer. He helps Ribo with our plans of action and he trains our soldiers. He may look menacing, but he's incredibly nice and fun to be with."

Then Crystal walks over to the Charizard. "And this is Scalene. She's the main doctor of the team and she studies different methods about how to cure any sickness that any of us come across."

Raikou's eyes widen in astonishment when Atsila comes to his mind. The chief has told the thunder tiger that his deceased mate's name was Scalene; is this the Charizard that he was talking about? She seems to fit Atsila's physical description perfectly.

"It is an honor to meet the creators of life," Rocky laughs as he shakes Darkrai and Ash's hands furiously. The rough movement makes the duo feel shaky but they feel much better after they shake Scalene's hand.

"We have heard about your first battle against Terotrey. We congratulate you on your victory," The Charizard comments.

After Raikou shakes both the Pokémons' hands, he smiles at the Charizard. "We had some help with the battle. Your mate and son volunteered."

Scalene looks intrigued. "Atsila and Flame?" She looks somewhat proud. "I always knew that they would be involved in this war one day…"

"My dad volunteered too?" Rocky looks hopeful and Raikou suddenly realizes where he has seen the Pokémon's scarlet eyes. "You're Bouldarin's son?"

"Yup." The Rhyperior puffs out his chest and grins proudly. "He's the best father in the world. He taught me everything that I know."

Ribo looks mischievous as he smirks. He whispers to Raikou, "And even that was limited since he evolved."

"WHAT?" The Rhyperior snaps as he glares at Ribo and crosses his arms. The RNA being smirks and crosses his own arms as he gazes coolly up at the officer. The Pokémon back off when they sense a fight starting. The Legendaries glance at Crystal for help, but the female lizard only shrugs.

"Once they're at it, they're at it." She says as she watches the men argue. The heroes say nothing as they watch the Pokémon argue. Several nearby soldiers stop what they are doing and walk up to watch the argument. They snicker or shake their heads disapprovingly.

"Are you implying that I'm dumb?" The Rhyperior points at the psychic's face accusingly. The psychic looks at the finder and gently moves it away as he says, "Aren't you smart enough to figure that out?"

The Rhyperior growls and cracks his knuckles as he glares at the psychic.

"This is a bad influence for the others…" Laki grumbles as she crosses her arms and shakes her head. Suddenly three small beings run up to Lacaria and tackle her down to the ground.

"Mama!"

The heroes glance down at the laughing four Pokémon curiously. Three differently colored Riolu are tickling the pink Lucario as they giggle in glee. One of the Riolu looks normal while the other two are yellow and black or pink and black. They all had the same red eyes as Lacaria does.

"OK, OK! I surrender!" Lacaria laughs as she sits up. She wraps her arms around the Riolu and nuzzles their heads fondly. The trio giggle before they notice the Legendaries and gape at them in awe. Crystal smiles as she ruffles the triplets' heads. When the Riolu see her, they waste no time jumping off Lacaria and tackling Crystal down for a hug.

"AUNT CRYSSY!"

Crystal laughs as she stands up with one Riolu on her head and two Riolu on her shoulders. She turns to face the Legendaries. "Kids, these are Mommy and Aunt Cryssy's new friends, Ash, Raikou, and Darkrai." Then Crystal looks at the heroes. "Boys, these are Lacaria's children. Dash," She points at the yellow Riolu on her head. "Rio," She points at the blue Riolu on her left shoulder. "And Ria." She points at the pink Riolu on her right shoulder. The triplets grin and wave happily at the heroes.

"You're a mother?" Darkrai asks Lacaria. The Lucario smiles and nods. "Yes. They're my babies." Then Lacaria holds out her arms and the trio jump off Crystal to snuggle against their mother. Gallade couldn't help but smile at the sight.

Raikou smiles in adoration. "Who's their father?"

Suddenly Lacaria frowns and her ears drop. Crystal looks uneasy and Raikou realizes that he must have hit a touchy subject. "I'm sorry if I offended you…" He mumbles.

"No, Raikou. It's all right. You didn't know." Lacaria says as she places her children down. Then she whispers something to them before they run through the crowd chasing each other.

"They are really cute kids, Laki." Raikou says in an attempt to ease the tension. Laki smiles weakly while Crystal gestures for the heroes to come closer.

"In this army, everyone has been affected by Terotrey one way or another. I already shared my background story with you. And if my friends want to, they'll share their stories with you too…" Crystal glances at her friends and sees them nodding in agreement.

Violet then starts her story. "I was a clone experiment that Terotrey made five years ago. When I started to act like a smartass around him, he shut me down and abandoned me in his old laboratory. It was pure luck that Crystal found me a few days after that. She recruited me and I vowed revenge upon Terotrey since that day."

Then Scalene starts her story. "Five years ago, Rocky and I faced the robots that Terotrey made. The scientist has replaced us with carcasses so no one would look for us. He captured us and experimented on us right after we healed up. He transformed us into robots and we had a hard time adjusting to our new bodies. Right after he let us go, we fled until we came upon Crystal. She quickly reprogrammed our bodies so we cannot take any orders from Terotrey. Then she offered us a place in her army and we stayed by her side since then.

Then Gallade steps up. "Two years ago, my girlfriend and family were out with me on a picnic. I was planning on proposing to my girlfriend." The Pokémon's eyes shine in sadness as he continues. "After she said yes, I was so happy that I wasn't aware of my surroundings at that moment. Suddenly I heard my mother scream and realized that my family was being attacked by robots. I told my fiancé to hide as I ran to save my family. But one of the robots used his lasers to cut my arms off." Gallade then holds up his arms and the heroes notice stitches just below his elbows. "I was in so much pain that I didn't even hear my fiancé screaming. After I lost some more blood, I fainted. When I wake up, I find myself under Crystal's care. She has informed me that the robots have killed my family and my fiancé. Then she offers me a place in the army and I took it after I vowed revenge on Terotrey."

Gallade takes a deep breath as he finishes his story. The heroes couldn't help but feel sympathetic for Gallade's tragic loss.

Laki pats Gallade's shoulder comfortingly before she starts her story. "About 1,500 years ago is when I first met Crystal. As she said, Terotrey's ancestors have infected me with something that makes me stay the way I am. This trait has been passed down to my kids and so they cannot evolve. But before I met Crystal, I was free and happy until I met a Lucario named X'ng. He wanted me as his mate and he would constantly stalk me. So I had to run and hide from him until Terotrey's ancestors captured me. They performed several tests on me and I grew sick from the results. Then I realized that X'ng has been captured and is the house owner's favorite pet. He has tortured me in horrific ways and… Did more." Laki pauses before she shudders and the heroes immediately sense what she means and grow horrified. Crystal pats Laki's shoulder comfortingly before the Lucario continues. "But while he was asleep, I managed to sneak out with his keys and got close to the entrance gate. Then I met Crystal and we realized that we both have the same predicament. After we helped each other out of the base, we agreed to stick together. After several years pass by, we realized that Terotrey's ancestors must have dosed us with something that makes our bodies age slowly. As a side effect, I had my triplets 500 years later. Crystal and I agreed to hide out on this island after the kids were born. As the next millennium passes by, none of us has changed as we recruited more Pokémon into our army. I haven't seen or heard from X'ng again so I assume that the humans haven't dosed him with the immortality trait."

Lacaria finishes her tale and wipes a tear away from her eye. Gallade walks up behind Laki and hugs her as he nuzzles his face against her fur. Crystal hugs Lacaria tightly while the heroes look horrified and sympathetic. "Damn…" Darkrai mutters.

Crystal lets go of Lacaria as she faces the heroes. "We all have been working together for years and we helped each other overcome our losses. When we heard that Terotrey has captured the Legendaries, we grew concerned. But when we found out that you defeated him, we had doubts since we could still track down his aura. We only encountered Terotrey a few times and we barely managed to survive his very few attacks. The very last time we saw him was a few days before he captured you boys. He has grown more serious about reaching his goal and he will not hesitate to take down anyone in his path."

Crystal steps forward as she looks at the heroes. "That is why we need your help. With the power of the Legendaries, we can work together to take on Terotrey and defeat him for good."

"I DON'T FREAKIN CARE IF YOU'RE A PSYCHIC! STAY THE F**K OUT OF MY HEAD!" Rocky's voice shatters the silence. Crystal snaps her head to glare disapprovingly at the Rhyperior. Before she could say something, Violet floats over to the duo.

As the psychic and officer continue to argue, Violet remains silent as she stands beside the duo and watches them in a bored manner. Then she holds up her hands and quickly pinches a nerve point on both their necks. The duo immediately turn silent and slump down onto the ground before the phantom. The heroes sweat-drop at the sight of the unconscious Pokémon.

"There. That takes care of that." Violet chuckles as she claps her hands and turns to the heroes. Then she notices her friends' disbelieving looks and shrugs. "What?"

"You just knocked them out!" Laki whines. Violet stares at her and shrugs again. "Yeah, so?"

"So that means we need to drag them inside to the medical bay…" Gallade mutters as he glares at Violet. "And considering how heavy Rocky is…"

Violet immediately realizes what she did and slaps her forehead in exasperation. "Damn it…"

Scalene sighs and shakes her head as she grabs her nephew by the shoulders. "Well, moping around isn't going to fix things. Girls, you take Ribo while Gallade and I hoist Rocky into the lab…"

Lacaria and Violet grab the unconscious psychic and carry him inside the cave. Gallade and Scalene have a lot of difficulty picking up Rocky but they manage to hoist him up as they drag him through the dark entrance.

As the watching Pokémon whine about their show being interrupted, Darkrai just stares at the cave in bewilderment while Raikou and Ash try hard not to snicker. After the crowd parts away, Raikou calms down a bit. "Hey, how did Ribo get into the army anyway?"

Crystal blinks before she glances at the thunder tiger. "Oh, that. Ribo just needs help with finding his sister. He joined us after we promised him that we'd help."

Darkrai stares at Crystal as if she has grown a second head.

Too much stuff has happened in two days. First Terotrey returns and captures the heroes. Then a Grovyle that claims to be Blackfire's daughter rescues the heroes and takes them to the legendary Garden of Eden. And then she introduces the heroes to a group of misfits that threaten each other.

Darkrai somehow knows that he isn't going to sleep well tonight.

Then Darkrai decides that he has waited enough for the truth. "Crystal, do you have a moment? Raikou and I want to talk to you about something."

Crystal looks curious before she looks at Ash. Then she gestures the human to follow her friends and the human hesitates before he does what he is told. As soon as the boy is out of sight, Crystal suddenly hears a commotion and sees a Caterpie having a hard time climbing down from a tree. Crystal glances at Darkrai. "Excuse me for a moment. I'll be right back." Then she rushes over to the tree and confronts the Caterpie.

Raikou gangs up on Darkrai. "Darkrai, what are you doing?" He asks cluelessly. The phantom glares at the tiger. "I want to see if this kid is who I think she is. Stay quiet while I do the talking."

Raikou raises a brow but remains silent as the duo watch Crystal return after she helps the Caterpie down to the ground.

"What do the creators of life wish to speak to me privately about?" Crystal asks as she smiles at the Legendaries. It took Darkrai super effort not to roll her eyes at the behavior. He has always hated being treated like a king. Raikou only blushes at Crystal's praise.

Darkrai gets right to his point. "Kid, do you have any idea of who your father is?"

Raikou stares at Darkrai in disbelief while Crystal blinks at the random question. Darkrai crosses his arms as he waits for an answer.

"N-No..." Crystal stutters nervously. Darkrai raises a brow before he asks another question. "Blackfire has never mentioned about him?"

"Mother always used to say that I had my father's skin color and eyes." Crystal offers.

Darkrai nods his head thoughtfully. "Hmm. And can Blackfire use Judgment?"

"No, Sir. Mother says that I inherited that power from my father."

Darkrai suddenly flinches. Raikou and Crystal notice the uneasy look on the phantom's face and grow suspicious. What is Darkrai inquiring exactly?

Darkrai relaxes before he asks one last question. "Do you have gold blood, by any chance?"

Crystal's eyes widen and she looks uncertain. "Yes…" She murmurs. _'How does he know that?' _

It confirms it. There is only one person that Darkrai knows that has gold blood. His next statement leaves Crystal and Raikou speechless. "Kid, you are the daughter of Arceus. You are the heir to the Legendary Council throne."

**Feedback please!**


	6. Chapter 6: Shock, Shame, and Sorrow

**Support, please!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 6: Shock, Shame, and Sorrow**

Crystal stares at Darkrai as her heart beats rapidly. She reads the phantom's mind to see if he is lying but she sees the truth in his eyes. Raikou's face has turned white from the shock he just felt. Neither the tiger nor lizard knows what to say.

Crystal closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "…What?"

Raikou looks just as unconvinced as Crystal does. "Are you sure this isn't just some mistake, Darkrai?"

The dark Legendary shots a cold glare at Raikou" I'm absolutely sure." He looks at Crystal. "Kid-"

"This is some sort of a sick joke, right?" Crystal rasps out as she looks uneasily at the phantom. Darkrai isn't the type to be friendly nor is he going to be the lying type. This girl is going to have to accept the truth one way or another.

All he does is shake his head slowly. Crystal lets out a shuddery breath as she steps back and shakes her head in disbelief.

"Kid, Raikou and I have known Blackfire long before you were born." Darkrai states. "As you know, she was a Legendary. But what Blackfire probably hasn't told you is that she was Arceus' mate." Crystal's eyes widen in astonishment. "About 1,500 years ago, Blackfire was banished from the Legendary Council because she was pregnant. It is forbidden for any Legendary to mate or to reproduce and Blackfire has broken two of the biggest rules."

Crystal breathes deeply as she puts two and two together. "… So you're saying that it is because of me that my mother was banished…"

Darkrai suddenly looks uneasy as he holds his hands up. "I never said that. What I'm saying is that I know Blackfire wouldn't betray Arceus for another man. She loved Arceus too much to be with anyone else. With that fact in mind, it makes it logical to think that you are Arceus' daughter. And based on what your background story says, it all makes sense." Darkrai's gaze softens as he floats over to the lizard. He tilts Crystal's head up to make her look at him. Darkrai smiles sadly when he sees Crystal's gold eyes. "And besides, you have the exact same gold eyes as Arceus does."

Crystal says nothing as she gazes at Darkrai. Raikou then looks closely and realizes that Crystal's eyes do look remarkably like Arceus' orbs. Crystal sighs as she looks down at her feet. "… How long have you known about this?"

"I was suspicious about you since after we met. I grew more suspicious when I saw your eyes and I realized that I've seen them somewhere. But I didn't want to say anything while your friends were listening. I don't know what would happen if anyone else knows about your relationship with Arceus." Then the phantom glances at Raikou's thoughtful look. "But I think that for now, only you, Raikou, and I will know about this information."

Crystal looks thoughtful before she nods. "I agree. It's not a safe secret, but we'll figure something out later. Deal?" She holds out her hand to the boys. Darkrai and Raikou glance at each other and nod as they form a handshake with Crystal. "Deal." Crystal smiles as the duo let go.

"Now let's just pretend that we didn't have this discussion. How about I show you around the valley before I take you down to the medical lab?" Crystal grins. Raikou grins while Darkrai smiles politely and nods. They are honestly quiet eager to see more of the legendary garden.

"Then let's go!" Crystal grabs Raikou and Darkrai's arms and practically drags the duo as she shows them different parts of the valley. The Legendaries are surprised by her strength but they keep quiet as they let the lizard show them around her home.

-ooo-

Sceptile rests tiredly on the couch. The Pokémon have spent the entire night looking for their master but had no luck. Several of the Pokémon are on the ground rubbing their sore feet while a few others decide to play a card game to ease their boredom and weariness. Pikachu sits against the windowsill and stares outside. He greatly hopes that Arceus has answered his prayers by letting Ash walk through the door with a smile on his face…

Suddenly the door slams open. Several Pokémon shriek in alarm as they stare wide eyed at a hysterical Bayleef. They would have thought that she'd be on crack if her voice didn't sound normal.

"Guys! You guys! You're not going to believe it!" The dinosaur jumps up and down in ecstasy as the Pokémon groan tiredly. Pikachu glances hopefully at Bayleef. "Someone found Ash?"

Bayleef shakes her head and the Pokémon groan irritably. "Mewtwo is outside!"

Silence erupts the room as the Pokémon glance at each other.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Corphish barks as he waves his claws wildly. "Let's go see him!" Then the crab rushes towards the door and leaves the house with Bayleef. The Pokémon glance at each other again before they stand up and follow the duo.

In Viridian Forest, Mewtwo, Deoxys, Jeff, and Skyler lean against trees as they wait. Mewtwo knows that if anyone knows about where Ash would be, then it would be the human's own Pokémon. Suddenly the Pokémon arrive and Pikachu confronts the psychic.

"Mewtwo!" He exhales. "What are you doing here?"

The manmade Pokémon snorts. "I came here to speak with Ash. Where is he?"

Pikachu lowers his ears. "We don't know… He was captured last night…"

Mewtwo frowns. Surely _someone_ knows where the boy has gone to.

Then Pikachu notices Deoxys and looks surprised. "Deoxys!" The DNA being smiles and holds out her arms. The yellow mouse jumps up for an embrace and smiles happily. "It's been a while! I haven't seen you since our incident with Rayquaza!"

"Rayquaza?" Mewtwo asks skeptically. Sceptile shakes his head. "Don't ask."

"Who are these guys?" Pikachu points at Jeff and Skyler. Deoxys smiles as she places the mouse down. "These are our friends, Jeff and Skyler. They're here to help us with our mission." The duo grin and give thumbs up while Pikachu holds up a peace sign.

"Your mission is to talk to Ash?" Bayleef asks skeptically. Mewtwo shakes his head impatiently. "No. We were sent here to grab him so we can get to our real mission."

"Who sent you?" Squirtle asks.

"Arceus."

The Pokémon are silent. Then Pikachu splutters, "Y-You work for the God of all Pokémon? _That_ Arceus?"

"The one and only." Deoxys nods.

"But what does he want with Ash?" Sceptile asks suspiciously. What would the God of all Pokémon need Ash for?

"All the Legendaries have been saved by Ash in numerous occasions," Mewtwo explains as he crosses his arms. "Two Legendaries have gone missing and we hoped that Ash would help us find them."

There is silence until Sceptile speaks. "Well, we don't even know where Ash is at right now. He was missing since yesterday morning. We searched everywhere for him all night."

"Did the capturer leave behind a clue by any chance?" Deoxys asks. "I can scan items and use the DNA samples to determine who the culprit is."

Mewtwo gives his girlfriend a disbelieving look while Sceptile looks almost hopeful. Then the reptile pulls a small note out of nowhere. "Yeah. There was a note left on Ash's bed that was signed." Deoxys takes the note and reads it. Mewtwo, Jeff, and Skyler peer over her shoulder to read the message. Then Deoxys looks over the note carefully. Suddenly she frowns.

"Strange… There are no fingerprints on this note…" Deoxys murmurs as she turns the note around. She cups her chin thoughtfully. "I don't think it is a human that could have done this…"

Mewtwo, leans against the tree and closes his eyes while the Pokémon chatter amongst themselves. He thinks about the signature. There could be a million people that have those initials, but Mewtwo knows for a fact that only humans have initials. Then Mewtwo decides to think of last names to start their situation out.

_'Horace, Horton, Horrifiance-'_

Mewtwo's eyes snap wide open. _'T and H… Terotrey Horrifiance... Could it be?' _He thinks urgently as he puts two and two together. He wonders why the scientist would want Ash, but he thinks about the other clues.

Terotrey hates Legendaries with a passion. He has been gone for over a month so it would make him the last prime suspect. But who else could possibly summon portals? Besides, why did the capturer take only Raikou and Darkrai when he easily had Cresselia, Suicune, and Entei under his grasp?

It all makes sense! Terotrey wants revenge and who would be first in the line other than the two Legendaries that have defeated him?

Mewtwo looks at Deoxys. The female psychic looks pale as she stares at him. It's obvious that she read his mind and is aware of what's going on. Then the duo look at the note in a horrified realization.

"You think it's…?" Deoxys breathes. Mewtwo nods even though disbelief covers his features.

"Who?" Jeff demands from Skyler's head. "Who did this to my main dude and his main dude and Pikachu's main dude?"

Deoxys and Mewtwo glare irritably at the Roselia for his dull comment before they stare uneasily at each other. They sigh and shake their heads. The name that seeps from their minds leaves Jeff and Skyler speechless while the other Pokémon remain confused. "_Terotrey..."_

-ooo-

"Argh! Why does that damn Crystal always get in my way?"

Terotrey's voice booms as the ground shakes. He paces back and forth before a large spherical machine that has a glass container surrounding it. Blackfire watches the tyrant with an unimpressed look while the robots behind her tremble from their master's anger. They are in a large room that would rival the size of a Pokémon stadium. Most of the room is taken up by the large machine. Several huge wires that connect to the ground are attached to the machine. The only source of light is blue electricity illuminating from the glass compartment. On one corner of the room is a laboratory with bloodied beds and cages filled with unconscious or dead Pokémon. The walls are stenched with blood and rust. There is no ceiling so the room occupants can see the black and purple sky above them. It is also their only source of leaving since there is no door around the room.

Terotrey growls to himself and Blackfire couldn't help but smirk at him. "Sir, you fail to realize that my daughter is not one that gives in easily. She always makes sure that she succeeds her missions."

Terotrey turns around and slaps Blackfire harshly across the face. Blackfire stumbles back from the force and shakes her head before she looks up at him with a cut across her cheek. She'll heal it after the meeting; she's used to Terotrey's abuse and she's not afraid to stand up for her daughter. Terotrey glares at the woman irritably.

Suddenly, the dragon smiles and touches the wound tenderly. He closes his eyes as he heals the wound himself. Blackfire flinches at Terotrey's touch but says nothing when he finishes.

"You are always the bold one, Blackfire," Terotrey chuckles as he caresses Blackfire's cheek. Blackfire holds back the urge to retch while the robots stick out their tongues in disgust. The dragon glares at his men.

"All of you, OUT!" He barks as he points up at the sky. The robots waste no time and use their engines to fly out of the building for their lives. Terotrey smirks before he glances back at Blackfire's lavender orbs. The duo hold a staring contest before Terotrey speaks. "I have always liked your stubbornness. It makes you more… Challenging to win over." He bears his bloodied fangs in a grin. Seeing his stenched teeth makes Blackfire feel nauseated as she looks away.

Then Blackfire glares up at Terotrey. She ignores the fact that he pins her against the wall as she speaks. "I will never be yours, Terotrey. I love Arceus and I would never choose you over him."

"How do you think Arceus will like the fact that his most trustworthy Legendary and loving mate is now his worst enemy's queen?" Terotrey sneers as he hovers over Blackfire menacingly. Blackfire pauses as she lowers her eyes and sighs in defeat. She knows that Arceus would be shattered if he ever finds out. She feels so guilty and horrible for doing this to him. But more importantly, she feels terrible for doing this to their daughter.

_Crystal_...

Everything that Blackfire has done is for Crystal. Her baby girl is the most important thing to her other than Arceus. Crystal is literally the best gift that Arceus could ever give her. Blackfire can see many similarities between Crystal and Arceus; they are brave, responsible, honorable, and determined. Crystal even looks like Arceus regardless that she is stuck in her Grovyle disguise. Even in their most troubled times, Crystal has never complained about her punishments. When Crystal visited Blackfire after her escape, Blackfire gives her the Jewel of Life in the disguise of a necklace. Since it is a simple object, no one would suspect its worth. However, Blackfire has told Crystal to be very careful with the necklace; Crystal literally has her father's life in her hands.

If the Jewel of Life is destroyed, then Arceus will die.

"Don't worry, Blackfire..." Terotrey murmurs suddenly. He leans closely down to Blackfire. Blackfire looks up at Terotrey and is unable to pull away when he rubs his snout against her. "I wouldn't banish you like Arceus has done. I would keep you by my side for all of eternity no matter what you do."

Blackfire snarls and wrenches herself away from his touch. "You are a filthy liar. Arceus will never turn his back to me. I know that my exile has hurt him as much as it has hurt me. I have already forgiven Arceus for banishing me. I will never love you over him."

"Of course you won't, Blackfire," Terotrey states as amusement flashes through his eyes. "I know that you won't."

Suddenly Terotrey leans forward and captures Blackfire's lips in an aggressive kiss. Blackfire screams in disgust and tries to kick Terotrey away. However, the dragon holds down her legs with one hand and thrusts his tongue inside Blackfire's mouth. He explores around her hungrily before he bites her lips hard enough to make them bleed. Blackfire winces as gold blood drips down from her lips. Terotrey smiles as he licks her lips to heal the wounds clean before he lets Blackfire go. The feminine exile crumbles down to the ground and curls around herself as she hides her face shamefully. She is furious that Terotrey has taken advantage of her. She's grateful that Terotrey didn't rape her, but it doesn't make her feel any better.

"I can see why Arceus likes you," Terotrey laughs as he kisses Blackfire's forehead. The exile flinches as Terotrey backs away and retracts his wings. He smirks down at Blackfire. "You're inexperienced; I can taste it." He laughs as he flies up into the air and disappears through a recently made portal. His laughter echoes as the portal vanishes.

Blackfire rests against the wall and finally lets her tears fall. She never shows her feelings out in public, but she couldn't hold back the fear, guilt, and sorrow for long. She cries as she curls into a ball and prays to Arceus that someone would help her out of her torturous fate. She prays that Crystal would remain safe even if something happens to her.

-ooo-

Arceus' ears perk up when he hears another prayer. When he recognizes the voice, his heart stops. It's the voice that he has craved to hear again. Blackfire is calling out to him. Arceus tries to locate the source of her call, but she doesn't appear to be on Earth. But then he notes the sorrow in Blackfire's voice and listens intently. What could be distressing his beloved mate so badly?

_'Arceus, my love. I do not know if you can hear my prayer, but if you do, then please listen to me. I am held captive by a dark force that you have encountered before, but I cannot say who since I am under his control.'_

Arceus growls at the thought of someone hurting his mate.

'_I know that you can read all prayers regardless of what dimension Pokémon are in. I know that my unexpected pregnancy must have pained you that day, but know that it has only intensified my love for you.'_

Arceus raises a brow.

_'Arceus, I promise you that I have never betrayed you for anyone else. I was pregnant with your child all those years ago. Please understand that the child is a part of you; I would never dream of abandoning it for my job. It was the greatest gift that you could have ever given me…'_

Arceus' eyes widen in astonishment. Blackfire was pregnant with _his_ child? That made him a… Father. He couldn't determine if he is more happy or horrified. Not only did he banish his mate, but he put his own child's life at stake amongst the human world!

Speaking of the child… What has happened to it? Is it still alive? Is it a boy or girl? What does it look like? Is it as powerful as he is? So many questions run through Arceus' mind that he almost misses Blackfire's next statement.

_'I'm so sorry for everything that I've put myself through. If you had known about what is really going on, then you would hopefully understand.'_

Arceus couldn't hold back his own thoughts. _'Oh, my dear Blackfire. What have you done to yourself?'_

_'Arceus? Is that you?'_

_'Blackfire?'_

Arceus is shocked when he realizes that their mental connection is still up. Since they haven't spoken to each other for centuries, Arceus would have thought that the bond would have been broken by now. But he could sense Blackfire and he desperately calls out to her. But to his confusion and disappointment, she seems to be purposely blocking him from her mind.

Doesn't she want to talk with him…?

"… Arceus?" A voice calls out to him. Arceus blinks and looks down. He sees Drendan looking up at him in concern. The Legendaries and Pokémon tribes are also looking at the God with tired or confused looks. Arceus puts aside his inner conflict as he clears his throat. "I apologize. I was lost in my thoughts for a moment." He looks at the crowd carefully. "So no one had any luck on finding Raikou, Darkrai, or their capturer?"

The Pokémon shake their heads slowly. Arceus quickly takes attendance and realizes that four Pokémon are missing. He raises a brow. "Where are Mewtwo, Deoxys, Jeff, and Skyler?"

Everyone glances at each other until Cresselia floats up. "Maybe they're still searching?" She offers.

"Or maybe they disappeared too!" Bouldarin growls. The Pokémon look panicked while the Legendaries roll their eyes. The Rhyhorn is so stubborn that it is starting to get annoying.

"Wait." Arceus orders silence as he listens to something. "They are here and they should come through that door right about-"

Suddenly the doors slam open and the four missing Pokémon rush into the room in a panting heap. Everyone is surprised when they notice other Pokémon behind the doors.

"-now." Arceus looks at the Pokémon as they catch their breaths. He notices the Pokémon behind him and asks patiently, "Mewtwo and Deoxys, what is the meaning of this?"

Deoxys holds up a hand before she straightens up and clears her throat. Then she looks up at Arceus with a grim expression. Mewtwo looks just as grim while Jeff and Skyler seem upset about something.

Suicune tilts her head. "Guys, what's wrong? You all look like you've just seen a ghost..."

"It's even worse," Mewtwo rasps out as he holds up a note. Suicune reads the note carefully as Mewtwo speaks.

"I think that we found our culprit. I think that Terotrey Horrifiance has returned."

Several Pokémon gasp and whisper amongst themselves. Suddenly Rayquaza speaks up. "That's impossible. We defeated him about a month ago. We all saw him fade into dust." Even though he sounds arrogant, there is a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"I am aware of that as well," Mewtwo casts a cold look at the green dragon. "But what if he was never dead in the first place? What if he was only a projection at that time?"

"What if he wasn't?" Deoxys points out. "What if he was brought back to life through help?"

"No one in their right mind would ever bring that bastard back," Bouldarin snorts as he crosses his arms. "All the tribes in the world have never heard of a way to bring back the dead. If we had, then the world would be overpopulated by old grunts."

Everyone is too focused on their thoughts to know that Bouldarin has a point. Their worst enemy is back and he has Raikou and Darkrai under his watch. Based on his history, it would be logical to assume that the tyrant has committed the crime but it's still hard to believe.

"… You're sure about this?" Arceus asks quietly. Mewtwo looks up at him. "I'm not quite certain, but the facts are too coincidental to ignore. No one else but Team Rocket would attempt to capture Legendaries and even they lack the technology to summon a dimensional portal."

Mewtwo has a point. Who else hates Legendaries enough to capture them? After all, Terotrey has tried to kill them not that long ago.

Suicune, Entei, and Cresselia are lost in their thoughts as they remember the moment that Darkrai and Raikou are taken away. They think about the laugh that they heard and suddenly realize why it seems familiar. They also recall why the claws seem familiar…

"It _is_ Terotrey," Suicune says suddenly. The Pokémon look at her in surprise. "I recognized the laugh and claws before Raikou and Darkrai were taken away. They're the same claws that Terotrey had in his dragon form."

Heatran looks breathless. "You mean that Terotrey is back… In his dragon form?"

Suicune slowly nods.

"I agree with Mewtwo," Cresselia says as she floats up. "Terotrey is only the other person on Earth that can summon portals. Besides, his portal has black and purple zigzag patterns; normal portals have black and white patterns."

"I also agree," Entei stands up. "Darkrai and Raikou seemed to recognize that laugh because they told us to run."

The Pokémon murmur amongst themselves while the newcomers walk inside the room. Pikachu walks up and nudges Arceus' leg gently. The God Pokémon kneels down to look at the mouse being curiously.

"Is there a problem, young one?" He asks quietly. Pikachu nods. "I'm just wondering if this Terotrey guy is the same person that took away my master, Ash Ketchum."

Suddenly everything turns quiet as everyone stares at Pikachu. The God looks surprised while some Legendaries look thoughtfully at Pikachu.

"Ash Ketchum?" Latias repeats as realization hits her. She floats off her pedestal and leans over the electric mouse. "Pikachu, is that you?"

The mouse grins and hugs the dragon. Latias smiles and returns the hug as she waves at the other Pokémon. The team walks over to greet her and some Legendaries walk down to greet Ash's Pokémon.

Latias looks at the Pokémon curiously. "So you think that Terotrey has taken Ash too?"

Sceptile shrugs as he crosses his arms. "Well, Deoxys and Mewtwo seem to believe so. We cannot say since we never actually met this person before."

"It has to be Terotrey; the note's signature has his initials on it," Deoxys insists.

"Arceus, what do you suggest that we do?" Rayquaza glances at the God expectantly. When everyone looks up at the God, Arceus says nothing as he gazes at everyone. Honestly, he doesn't know what to do at this point.

_'Great… Just enough stress…' _Arceus grumbles to himself. He thinks about different ways to rescue his missing Legendaries but all the plans have at least one flaw in them. When Arceus couldn't think of any more ideas, he sighs as he slumps his shoulders. There is one plan that could work but the others won't be happy about it. But it is for the best. Arceus makes his decision.

"Everyone… Go home and resume your daily duties. Go back to your lives as if nothing has happened."

Silence erupts in the room for a long time. The Pokémon stare at Arceus with blank or disbelieving looks as they stand still. Arceus vaguely wonders if time had stopped at that moment.

Then hell breaks loose. Every Pokémon starts to yell or roar out in outrage. The Legendaries hold looks of disbelief while they hold back several charging Pokémon.

"What do you mean just go back with our lives?" Bouldarin roars as he struggles against his brother's hold. "How can we just go on with our lives when two Legendaries are missing? What if Terotrey comes back to capture the rest of the Legendaries?"

Roars of agreement echo in the room but Arceus remains silent. Pikachu, Cresselia, and Suicune stare at the God with tears in their eyes. The sudden pain in their chests is too overwhelming to ignore and they start to hyperventilate against their friends' arms. Doesn't Arceus care about the situation…?

Arceus' voice then booms across the room and demands silence. The Pokémon immediately turn silent and stop moving as they stare up at the aggravated God in fear. The God breathes heavily and raggedly as the glares at the Pokémon disapprovingly.

Then Arceus sighs heavily and straightens up. He looks at the stunned Pokémon sadly. "I cannot think of another solution that would help our situation. I don't even know if Raikou, Darkrai, or Ash are still alive if Terotrey has them."

Cresselia, Suicune, and Pikachu let out tearful gasps as their friends comfort them sadly. Entei nuzzles against Suicune and holds back his own tears of disbelief. A world without Raikou is a world without humor. Cresselia whimpers against Deoxys and Skyler when she realizes that she might not have a counterpart anymore. Life isn't worth living without Darkrai. Pikachu cries as Sceptile cradles him gently. Without his master, Pikachu doesn't know what he would do with his life. Ash and Pikachu have been together for years and they have never been separated by something. Where would the little mouse and Ash's other Pokémon go? What would they do?

Arceus gives the trio a sympathetic look. "We don't have a plan or action or even a heading. My suggestion is that everyone goes home and get some rest before they carry on with your lives. If anyone happens to find Ash, Darkrai, or Raikou, then bring them back here."

"But-" Bouldarin protests but stops when Arceus gives him a steely glare.

"If anyone here has a better plan, then please share it. I am willing to listen to more ideas."

Arceus glances around and doesn't see anyone holding their hand up. Even though he sounds snappy and somewhat tired, it almost sounds like Arceus is starting to lose hope himself.

Taking the silence as a sign, Arceus sighs. "I thought so. In that case, my decision is final. Court is adjourned." He taps his hoof. The Pokémon grumble as they begin to leave the room. Several Pokémon shoot Arceus a look of disappointment while others refuse to even look up at him. Arceus sighs as everyone leaves the room.

Pikachu looks up at the God with a heartbroken look. Tears slide down his cheek while a furious Sceptile glares at the Legendaries in hatred. The lizard's intense glare surprises the Legendaries.

"You all claim to protect this world, but you cannot even protect your own kind or save a single boy." The green lizard sneers in disgust. "Some protectors of life you all are. Why are you all so bloody useless during our desperate times?"

Sceptile then storms out of the exit and follows his teammates back home. He gives the Legendaries one last evil look before he slams the doors shut.

The Legendaries are silent as guilt and shame overwhelm them. They have to admit that Sceptile has a point. If they can't even protect their own kind or a human child, then why do they deserve their Legendary titles in the first place?

Because that's the way they are. They are the only people that can control the balance of life. They should be able to control all situations, but unfortunately they cannot. It's pathetic. They cannot control everything because it would disrupt the balance between good and evil. They feel guilty when they realize that they solve their own problems through violence and affect innocent Pokémon through it.

Arceus' sigh cuts the silence. The Legendaries look up at him. "As for all of you… Go back to your duties as well."

"So that's it then?" Heatran asks as he narrows his eyes and bites his lip. The Legendaries ignore the lava toad as they make their way towards the door. There's no point in trying to persuade the God to change his mind; his decision is final. "That's all were gonna do? Just stand back and let our friends get killed?"

Arceus gazes at the exile quietly. The Legendaries sadly leave the room with heavy hearts. Deoxys, Mewtwo, Entei, Jeff, and Skyler practically drag away Suicune and Cresselia since the girls were too upset and tired to move. Drendan remains behind as he waits for his friend.

"I don't believe this!" Heatran shouts. His anger seems to intensify the flames of the torches around the courtroom. "I can't believe that we're just going to do nothing! The Arceus that I know would never let this happen to any Legendary!"

"Heatran-" Arceus begins, but the toad continues. "No! Don't even try to reason with me! What about Raikou? What about Darkrai? What about that poor human child? You're just going to let three innocent lives perish in the arms of our enemy?"

Arceus opens his mouth again but the exile beats him to it. "Arceus, letting Raikou and Darkrai go is only going to ruin the balance of life. I agree with Bouldarin. If Terotrey has returned, then he will make no hesitation to capture the rest of the Legendaries!"

The God suddenly looks aghast as he stares wide eyed at the toad.

"Those three boys don't deserve to die if they haven't already! They saved all of our lives and you repay them by abandoning them!" Heatran then takes a deep breath and glares up darkly at Arceus. Then he turns to leave. "They are no better off than Blackfire is…"

Heatran says no more as he leaves the room. Drendan glances uneasily at Arceus before he follows the brooding toad. When the doors close, Arceus thinks about what the toad has told him.

He feels like a foolish leader and is ashamed to call himself one. Arceus stumbles over to his pedestal and lies down. As he buries his face against his hooves, he does something that he has never done out in public.

He cries.

Arceus just doesn't know what to do anymore. He has let his mate and three other lives down. He doubts that he would ever see Blackfire, Raikou, or Darkrai again. But little does he know about how far away from the truth he is.

**Support, please!**


	7. Chapter 7: Exiled Legendaries and Ritual

**Note: I took out Latios' return because it was kinda pointless. He remains dead and the descriptions are a little shorter this time.**

**Check out the bios in my DeviantArt Accout! Feedback is appreciated!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 7: Exiled Legendaries and Ritual**

The stars shine brilliantly above the island of the Garden of Eden. A gentle breeze blows through the foliage and soothes the tired Pokémon as they prepare for a certain monthly ritual. Within the caves that are inside the floating island, a Grovyle tends to a phantom's wounds in the main medical laboratory while a thunder tiger and a human watch from their beds.

Crystal sews up a cut on Darkrai's arm and ignores the phantom's whines. Raikou and Ash look amused as they watch the phantom going through torture. Crystal's Recover ability has healed up all their wounds completely after she cleaned them up a bit. Raikou and Ash were a lot less whiny about the cleaning than Darkrai is.

"OW! S**t, that hurts!" Darkrai protests when Crystal rubs a cotton ball filled with alcohol against a tender spot.

"Well, it's gonna hurt unless you want me to leave it infected!" Crystal retorts as she holds Darkrai's arm steadily. Darkrai couldn't come up with a retort as he stares at Crystal. "…"

Crystal smirks as she shakes her head. Then she doses another cotton ball with alcohol and continues to clean Darkrai's cut. "That's what I thought…"

As soon as she is done with the stitches, Crystal throws away the bloody cotton balls and wipes her hands with a towel. She smirks at Darkrai. "There. Now was that so bad?"

Darkrai says nothing as he crosses his arms and glares at the lizard irritably. Crystal smiles before she puts her fingers against Darkrai's temples and closes her eyes. Soon she glows a rainbow color and Darkrai begins to glow alongside her. Soon Darkrai's wounds begin to close until they completely heal. Crystal lets go of Darkrai as soon as the wounds disappear. She smiles as Darkrai looks at himself. He feels completely relaxed; it's like he just came out of a spa.

"Thanks..." Darkrai says as he stretches his arms and sighs in content. Crystal nods as she looks at Raikou and Ash. "You boys doing OK?"

The duo nod and smile. "Yep. I have never felt better in my life. Thanks for that, by the way," Raikou says as he jumps off his bed. Crystal smiles as she begins to put away all the extra medical materials into the cabinets.

"You're welcome. But don't tell anyone about my special ability yet." Crystal winks at the boys over her shoulder. "I want it to be a surprise."

The boys look at Crystal strangely. "You mean that you are planning to reveal who you are to the world?" Raikou asks skeptically.

"After Terotrey's gone for good." Crystal nods as she turns to face the boys. "I don't want to get too many people involved with this war as it is. So many lives have been lost by Terotrey's doing and I don't want to sacrifice any more than necessary. And besides, think of the chaos I would start if I told everyone that I'm Blackfire's daughter."

Then Crystal walks over to the beds and sits on one. "Terotrey and I managed to agree on one thing. Five years ago, we decided to not get any more people involved with our war. We have enough soldiers in our armies as it is. However, Terotrey broke our pact the moment he got Team Rocket involved with his goals. He worsened the situation when he captured the Legendaries and used their essences. So we each recruited more soldiers into our armies within the last month. It is about a few weeks ago when we both realize that our pact has conflicted with the prophesy that involves you and the other Legendaries."

Crystal eyes the heroes carefully as they stare back at her. "Boys, you and the Legendaries have been involved with everything since the beginning of time. Terotrey's ancestors have thought up of various ways to capture the Legendaries. But when they realized that they took the wrong Legendaries, they grew aggravated but started to grow hope. They failed to realize that they captured exiled Legendaries instead."

"Wait, exiled Legendaries?" Raikou asks in confusion. Suddenly it hits him and his eyes widen. "You mean they took-"

"Yes; they've captured all of the exiles alongside my mother and me." Crystal nods grimly.

"Even-"

"Even your brother, Saberspark."

Raikou looks flabbergasted and Crystal explains herself. "After the exiles were banished, my mother gave them a place to stay here. They were here when my mother was banished and in labor. While she was out scouting for food, the exiles would help raise me and they became my main guardians. They told me everything about themselves and became my closest friends." Crystal smiles as she glances at Darkrai. "Especially Eclipso."

"My brother is still alive?" Darkrai splutters. He leans against the bed and looks greatly relieved. Crystal smiles and nods. "I think so."

"You think so?" Darkrai raises a brow. Crystal pauses before she hesitates. "Well… The last time I saw the exiles was shortly after I escaped from Terotrey's ancestors. But based on how much knowledge Terotrey has about Legendaries, I think he has the exiles hidden somewhere in his realm."

"Didn't you try to find them?" Raikou asks desperately. Crystal sighs. "I have hired several spies to search throughout Terotrey's Realm, but several of them would always come back either dead or gravely ill. I couldn't risk sending out more Pokémon."

There is silence as Darkrai and Raikou lower their gazes sadly. Suddenly realization hits Darkrai. "So Violet might be the clone of-"

"Eclipso? Possibly…" Crystal shrugs. Darkrai then realizes why Violet's eyes seem familiar; they are the exact same color as his brother's eyes are!

Ash looks stunned. "You mean there's _more_ Legendaries?" He asks.

"_Was,"_ Darkrai mutters. "They were banished for slacking off on their jobs when the Black Plague seized the humans."

Ash looks aghast. "Wow… That long, huh?" Raikou couldn't hold back a snicker while Darkrai snorts. Crystal smirks. "Yes… That long. Now that we've established the fact that the Legendaries and I are ancient, are there any more questions?"

"What are you going to train us on, exactly?" Raikou asks suddenly. Crystal smiles in delight. "Oh, that. My friends and I will start by showing you boys the basic movements of using an affinity."

"An affinity?" Ash raises a brow. Crystal nods.

"Yes, one out of the seven main affinities of life. Fire, water, Earth, air, electricity, light, or darkness. Each affinity has a useful tactic that its owner can use if properly handled." Then Crystal looks at Ash. "However, since humans do not have affinities, we are going to train Ash on how to control his aura and to defend himself."

Ash looks intrigued. "You can do that?"

"Of course; Laki, Gallade, Ribo, and I are aura users ourselves. We can sense different auras and yours happens to radiate pure but powerful energy. We can train you to use it for your defense. However, we can only teach you the basic movements; you need to unlock the power yourself."

Before the heroes could say something, Scalene knocks the cave door and enters the room. "Cryssy, the buffet is ready whenever you are ready."

"Buffet?" Darkrai glances at Crystal. The lizard smiles at him. "We prepare dinner before we start our monthly ritual. I'm sure that you boys must be hungry."

Suddenly Raikou holds his growling stomach. Crystal laughs and the thunder tiger blushes slightly.

"I guessed correctly. Then let's go." Then the heroes step out of the room and walk through the torch-lit tunnels back to the valley.

-ooo-

Terotrey floats through his portal with a smirk on his face. As his long silver hair gently flows behind him, he thinks of various uncouth thoughts about Blackfire. He smiles perversely before he reaches to his destination. He frowns as he floats through his realm until the sight of an abandoned island grabs his attention. The only thing occupying the island is a large white building that has only two barred windows. Terotrey floats up to the island and reverts into his human disguise. He walks up to the large steel doors and takes out a key. He inserts the key into the lock and pushes the doors open.

The smell of death and dried blood surrounds the scientist as soon as he enters the room. He smiles as he closes the door and snaps his fingers. Suddenly torches light up on fire and the scientist could see through the dimmed darkness. The room appears to be a cell. There is only one pathway and it leads down further to show more cells on either side of the room. The ground is stenched with blood rust, and even a hint of mold. Some flies fly around the corpses inside some cages. The scientist seems indifferent about the unsettling room as he walks up to the farthest and largest cage. He smirks as he gazes at few differently colored Legendaries. Their bodies seem to have turned pale and bony and their eyes show weariness, hopelessness, and sickness. The Pokémon flinch when they see Terotrey.

The scientist sneers as he places his hands in his pockets. "I should consider myself lucky to be in the presence of old Legendaries."

"Terotrey..." A golden Latias murmurs tiredly as she looks up at him with sad eyes. "What do you want from us? Haven't you tortured us enough as it is?"

"Fortunately for you, I'm going to let today slide." Terotrey retorts. Some of the Pokémon let out heavy sighs of relief and Terotrey smirks. "But only because I already have plans with the actual Legendaries."

The Pokémon look up in alarm and fear. "What have you done to them?" A black Rayquaza demands.

"Nothing, yet," Terotrey says smoothly. "But I did have a little encounter with Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash Ketchum-"

"_What did you do to them?" _A deep voice asks darkly. Everyone turns to look at the Darkrai as he floats over to Terotrey and snarls viciously as he clenches his fists. His red eyes glow brightly as he waits for an answer. Besides him is an orange Raikou that has dark red eyes and looks just as dangerous as the phantom does. "What did you do to our brothers?"

"I didn't do anything." Terotrey snaps. Then he holds up his hand and pulls away his sleeve to show the Pokémon bite marks on his palm. "However, Saberspark's brother managed to bite me."

Saberspark could help but smirk in pride.

"Those foolish Legendaries still think that I'm dead for over a month…" Terotrey mutters as he turns away. Suddenly he smiles. "That gives me a slight advantage…"

"You still didn't answer my question. What did you do to our brothers?" The Darkrai demands. Terotrey turns to glare at him but the phantom doesn't cower under his gaze.

"I tried to destroy them this morning, but they were rescued by Blackfire's daughter."

The Darkrai's gaze immediately softens. "Crystal?" Then he looks down at his feet sadly. "It looks like she has gotten involved with our predicament after all…"

"Yes, yes, Eclipso," Terotrey waves his hand irritably. "As much as you care about your Godchild's safety, she and the Legendaries will pay for trying to stop me."

Suddenly Eclipso launches forward and clutches the cage bars tightly. "If you touch Crystal or any of her friends, then you will regret it the moment I break free from this cell!"

Terotrey narrows his eyes at the phantom before he holds his hand up and shoots a purple blast at the ghost. Eclipso yells out in pain as he stumbles back against Saberspark and clutches his bleeding arm.

"I'd be careful about what you say, Eclipso," Terotrey growls as he points at the phantom. "You are in no position to threaten me and remember that this is _my_ realm. _Anything_ that I say or do will happen and you should know by now that I'm not a very patient man."

Eclipso only glares bitterly at Terotrey as he glances at the other Pokémon. "Let that be a lesson for all of you. I must go now; I have many plans to attend to." Terotrey smirks and bows to the Pokémon before he leaves the prison. As soon as he closes the door, the exiles sigh in relief before they surround Eclipso.

"Why couldn't you just keep your mouth shut?" An orange Zapdos grunts in annoyance. "Your comments will only get you even more hurt."

As a pink Moltres rests beside Eclipso, the phantom responds, "It is best not to let him know that he is more powerful than we are, Zaptaran. It will only boost his confidence." Zaptaran only grunts and shakes his head.

"He's right," Saberspark says as he sits next to the phantom. "We are better than this. Maybe one day we will be free, but we cannot lose hope." Some of the Pokémon nod while the others say nothing.

"I wish that Crystal wasn't involved in this," Eclipso says sadly as he tenderly palms his burn. He winces at the contact. "The poor kid has suffered enough hardships in her childhood. Terotrey could kill her, or even worse; transform her into a robot drone."

The Pokémon shiver at the thought. If Terotrey transforms Crystal or any Legendary into a robot, then chaos would lurk.

"I do too, but you know how Cryssy can be," Saberspark says softly. "She's a lot like her mother. She's determined to protect her loved ones with her life."

"That's the point. I don't want her to sacrifice herself while she is still so young."

"Crystal is smart. I'm sure that she knows what she's doing. She made it this far so I'm sure that everything will turn out fine."

"I guess you're right," Eclipso sighs as he looks up at the barred window. He could barely see the purple and black sky as he relaxes against his friends. The Pokémon huddle together and fall asleep while Eclipso continues to stare at the sky worriedly.

_Please be safe, kids…_

-ooo-

Crystal leads the heroes out of the cave and the heroes realize that their healing has taken up most of the afternoon. They could see various stars in the night sky but are surprised by now nicely decorated the valley is. Several trees seem to have light decorations while there is a large bonfire in the middle of the valley. Several Pokémon are setting up differently colored candles around a stone pedestal that is placed a few feet away from the bonfire. There are long tables that have various different kinds of foods and drinks nearby the trees.

"Crystal!" A voice calls out. Crystal and the boys turn and watch her friends rush up to the Grovyle with plates of food in their hands. Laki's children are by their mother's side as they eat different kinds of berries.

"The ritual is about to start, so you and the boys better hurry up and eat something." Laki explains.

"You don't wanna miss out on the food," Rocky says as he stuffs his mouth with various meats and fruits. "It's really good. Mrs. Kangaskhan and her hosts have really outdone themselves tonight."

Ribo narrows his eyes at the officer. "Rocky, how many times have I told you to chew before you swallow and to not talk while eating? You're being a bad influence for the kids." He points at the giggling Riolu triplets.

"Then don't let them watch." The Rhyperior shrugs carelessly as he stuffs another berry into his mouth. Before the psychic could retort, Rocky gags and falls down to his knees as he chokes. Gallade shakes his head and elbows the Rhyperior from the back. The officer spits out a large berry seed and pants. He coughs a bit and wipes his mouth. "Thanks, man…" He mutters. Ribo smirks smugly at the officer but Rocky purposely ignores him and resumes eating. The psychic huffs at the Rhyperior's stubborn tactics.

"Why don't you go ahead and eat? I'm sure that you four are famished." Scalene suggests as she turns to the heroes. Crystal smiles and nods. "Thanks, Scalene." Then she looks at the heroes. "Let's go."

The heroes nod and follow Crystal towards the buffet table. They begin to drool when they see the different foods and Crystal smiles. "Help yourselves."

Soon the heroes grab a plate and serve themselves. They sit against the foliage and talk about random topics as they quickly eat their dinner. They didn't realize how hungry they were until they helped themselves to a third serving. As soon as they throw away their plates with full stomachs, the electric lights start to dim.

Crystal smiles. "It's time. Follow me."

Then Crystal leads the boys around the bonfire towards the pedestal as several Pokémon begin to surround them. Her friends hold up different colored candles as they surround the pedestal in a circle. The heroes only watch in confusion.

"What's this ritual for, anyway?" Raikou asks. Crystal turns to him and grins. "To honor the Legendaries for all that they have done for us."

The Legendaries look almost flattered before Darkrai crosses his arms and raises a brow. "Really? I would have thought that-" He pauses when he notices Ash. Crystal immediately gets the phantom's hunch and walks up to the human. She places a hand on his arm. "Ash, the boys and I need to talk privately. As fellow Legendaries discussing business."

"I understand," Ash nods and walks up to the pedestal to ask Crystal's friends about what they are doing. As soon as he is gone, the trio look at each other and Darkrai resumes his topic. "I would have thought that you wouldn't want to praise Arceus after her banished you and Blackfire." He hesitates. "Erm, no offense. But honestly I don't understand why you still praise him."

Crystal's smile is sad. "I understand what you mean. Most people would have thought the same way, but I do not believe in holding grudges against people simply because they do things that they think are right. He is my father after all and he has only followed the Legendaries' rules. I'm sure that he has suffered from losing my mother just as much as my mother misses him. I have already forgiven Arceus because I wouldn't be here if he didn't spare my mother. I understand that the penalty for Legendaries being pregnant is death, but Arceus instead chooses to banish my mother. It proves how much he must have cared for my mother and maybe for her child even if it wasn't his. Therefore, I have decided to forgive him for his mistake."

Both the Legendaries stare at Crystal in awe. Her speech strangely reminds them of how Arceus is.

Suddenly a Beedrill floats up to Crystal and taps her shoulder. "Ma'am, it's time." He murmurs. Crystal nods to the insect before she glances at the boys. "Boys, listen to me carefully. Your auras will be used for this ritual, but they will be activated only through happy thoughts. The affinity candles will react to your emotion and I'll call out to the affinities to perform the ritual. In the end, you will witness something beautiful. All you need to do is think about the happiest moment in your life."

"Me with happy thoughts?" Darkrai scoffs and shakes his head. Crystal looks at him and smirks. "Surely you have at least one happy memory? Has something happened recently that makes you feel good every time you think about it?"

The Legendaries are silent before they nod. Crystal nods in approval before she gently leads them towards the pedestal. She tells them to stand on the stone pedestal while her friends stand around them with handles in their hands. Crystal's friends give the Legendaries smiles of encouragement while Crystal leads Ash to the crowd. Once the human settles himself, Crystal stands before the pedestal and holds up her arms.

"Everyone, I thank you all for coming!" Her voice silences the Pokémon as they look at her. "Tonight we honor the Legendaries for their duties and for creating a home for us! Without them, we would be lost!"

The Pokémon cheer loudly and Crystal signals for silence again before she continues. "Tonight we are blessed that Legendary Raikou and Legendary Darkrai have joined us for our monthly ritual. They plan to join us for our cause, but keep in mind that they are also normal living beings. Treat them with the respect that they deserve. Do not give them any reason to feel unwelcome here, so that means you will not stare or gawk at them or criticize them about their duties. They will answer your questions only if they choose to do so; their jobs are their business and theirs alone. I will expect you to help them with anything that they need."

Crystal smiles at the Legendaries as the Pokémon cheer. The duo smile back and feel somewhat grateful that the lizard has taken care of that problem. Crystal then looks back at the crowd. "Now, let's get on with the ritual!"

The Pokémon cheer again and Crystal signals for silence. Then she turns to the pedestal and looks up at the sky. She closes her eyes. "We thank the Legendaries for their duties and we perform this ritual to show our gratitude. I call upon all seven affinities to seal this ritual and to bless the Legendaries for their honorable duties!"

Suddenly a gust of wind blows against the heroes and catch the Legendaries off guard. They straighten up as Crystal walks up to Lacaria.

"I call the affinity of light upon us," Crystal commands. "You light up our paths to honor and justice and you always help us see the bright side of things." Then Crystal smiles at Laki. "Lacaria has been blessed with the affinity of light. Even though she has gone through a tough life, she refuses to let it bother her and she makes the best out of her future. She is always so optimistic about everything and I admire her for that. She represents light well." Suddenly Lacaria's candle glows white after another gust blows through the heroes.

Laki smiles widely as Crystal pets her shoulder. Then the lizard walks over to a smug Violet.

"I call the affinity of darkness upon us." Crystal commands. "Even though you are mistaken as the worst affinity, you still have good in you. You host the nocturnal Pokémon and soothe the souls at night time." Crystal smiles at Violet. "Violet has been blessed with the affinity of darkness. Even though she may be a bit of an egotistical pompous brute, but she is still honorable and brave. She always helps people in need and she makes sure that her work is done. She really is a softie at heart. She represents darkness well." Suddenly Violet's candle is enshrouded by darkness before a gust of wind blows through the heroes.

Some of the Pokémon croon while Violet's glare softens. She smiles a bit at Crystal and the lizard pets her shoulder before she walks over to Gallade. The warrior kneels down so Crystal can look at him better.

"I call the affinity of Earth upon us. You fertilize our food and shelter us from the harsh natural disasters." Crystal smiles at Gallade. "Gallade has been blessed with the affinity of Earth. Gallade protects other people with his life and he always puts other people before himself. He's a true friend and warrior and he represents Earth well." Suddenly the Pokémon could smell fresh grass before a gust of wind blows through the heroes.

Gallade smiles at Crystal and Crystal pets his shoulder before she walks over to Scalene. The dragon smiles motherly at Crystal and the lizard returns the grin.

"I call the affinity of fire upon us. You warm us up with your flames and you shield us from evil." Crystal smiles at Scalene. "Scalene has been blessed with the affinity of fire. Scalene has always watched after us and tends to our wounds like all mothers do. She always listens to our problems and helps us through our troubling times. She represents fire well." Suddenly the Pokémon feel warm and the bonfire seems to blare into life before a gust of wind blows through the heroes.

Scalene kisses Crystal's forehead and thanks her softly. Crystal blushes a bit before she walks over to Ribo.

"I call the affinity of air upon us. You give us oxygen to breathe and blow away our troubles." Crystal smiles at Ribo. "Ribo has been blessed with the affinity of air. Ribo is as honest as he is smart. I couldn't trust any other Pokémon. He always knows what to do and how to fix things. He is the most persuasive and calculative person that I know. He represents air well." Suddenly the Pokémon feel a stronger gust of wind blow through them.

Ribo smiles as he exchanges a friendly hug with Crystal. Then the lizard walks up to a grinning Rocky.

"I call the affinity of electricity upon us. Although you are the fiercest and quirkiest affinity, you happen to be the fastest and one of the most powerful affinities." Crystal smiles at Rocky. "Rocky has been blessed with the affinity of electricity. He tends to be reckless and cocky, but he is as strong as he is fast. He has a strong mind and heart that makes him one of the most lovable soldiers in this army. He represents electricity well." Suddenly a gust of wind blows through the heroes, but it forcefully slams Crystal against Rocky. Rocky stumbles back a bit before he laughs and helps Crystal up to her feet. Some of the Pokémon chuckle.

"Sorry about that, Cryssy," Rocky smiles uneasily. "Got a little too excited."

"It's no problem," Crystal nods in understanding before she walks over to an empty space amongst the circle. She picks up a blue candle and looks up at the sky. "I call the affinity of water upon us. You clean up our messes and wash away all our troubles. You supply us with life and transport all the necessary minerals into our bloodstreams." Crystal looks at everyone and smiles. "I have been blessed with the affinity of water. Although I am not perfect in everything I do, I try to fix my mistakes. I keep my word and help anyone that needs assistance."

"She represents water well!" Her six friends say together. The Pokémon laugh while the smell of rain overwhelms them. Crystal smiles happily at her loyal friends. The family that she has always wanted is giving her smiles of encouragement to continue.

Suddenly the candles glow and shoot a beam of light above the Legendaries. They form a ball of light that glows various rainbow colors and forms a cylindrical wall around the Legendaries.

"And now with the Legendaries' help, we can manifest all the affinities to give our gratitude to the creators of life!" The Pokémon cheer and Crystal nods at the Legendaries before she and her friends close their eyes to focus. The lights seem to intensify and thicken as the Pokémon focus on their affinities.

The Legendaries close their eyes and think about different happy memories. Raikou automatically thinks about his victory against Terotrey and how it promotes him back into the Legendary Council. Soon his body radiates a gold aura and the Pokémon turn to watch Darkrai.

Darkrai has a little difficulty thinking about a possible happy memory. He knows that giving people nightmares and enjoying their torment is not appropriate as a happy memory for the ritual. But when his thoughts turn to Cresselia, he remembers the day that they have gotten together right after Terotrey captures them. He thinks about their first kiss, their various dates, and the very first night they made love…

Suddenly Darkrai's body radiates a black and purple aura. Raikou and Darkrai's auras seem to blend as they spiral up towards the ball of light. Crystal watches curiously before she gestures the Legendaries to come off the pedestal. The Pokémon easily walk out of the wall of light and stand behind Crystal as they watch the glowing orb. The auras flow around the light until the orb shrinks and takes the form of a white glowing gaseous orb.

Suddenly the orb floats towards Crystal. The lizard steps back and frowns.

"Crystal, what is it doing?" Laki asks as she blows out her candle. The Pokémon stand back and stare uneasily at the gaseous orb. "I don't know…" Crystal murmurs before she closes her eyes and uses her telepathy to figure out what the object is.

When she opens her eyes, she looks somewhat surprised before she nods to no one in particular. Then the ball of glass floats over to Crystal and envelops her Star Piece necklace. Her friends step up but Crystal holds up a hand and shakes her head. "It's all right; trust me."

The Pokémon raise their brows but say nothing as they watch the orb glow around the necklace. Suddenly a flash of light erupts and the Pokémon shield their eyes. When the flash fades away, the Pokémon look back and stare in confusion.

Crystal's necklace is gone but a green orb floats before the lizard. Crystal carefully grabs the jewel and inspects it. She could see different colors flowing inside the orb and she wonders what on Earth the object is.

"It's beautiful…" Laki breathes as she stares at the jewel in fascination. Ash walks up to the heroes and looks over Crystal's shoulder. Suddenly he gasps. "The Jewel of Life!"

"The what?" Crystal asks as she looks at Ash. Ash points at the orb in awe. "That's the Jewel of Life! I've heard stories about it when I was in elementary school, but it's supposed to be the most powerful object in the universe! It's supposed to have a part of Arceus' soul inside it. He has inserted four essential affinities into it so it could create life. He has given it to Blackfire as an anniversary gift."

Darkrai looks somewhat bewildered and amused. "Sounds like someone has been studying mythology."

The heroes are silent as they stare at the orb. Then Crystal notices that her soldiers are staring at them. Not wanting to create a scene, she points at the caves. "The ritual is now over. You are all dismissed for the night."

Some Pokémon groan while the others look relieved. The tired Pokémon begin to head towards their caves or tree homes and leave the heroes alone. Scalene quickly uses her affinity to blow out the bonfire while Rocky turns off all the electrical lights around the valley. The duo return to the heroes and stare at the orb in silence for several minutes. They think about what Ash has said and are thoughtful. Suddenly Violet realizes something. "… That's why Blackfire gave you that necklace. She disguised it as a simple object and gave it to you so you could protect it. Arceus gave it to Blackfire because he trusts her, and now she gave it to you because she is trusting you…"

"… With Arceus' life," Crystal breathes. The Pokémon glance at each other while sudden realization hits Crystal. The lizard could barely breathe. It all makes sense now.

She is entrusted to keep Arceus' soul safe. His fate is literally in her hands now.

"We should get to bed," Scalene suggests after silence. "We can talk more about this in the morning."

"But I don't know where I should put this," Crystal states. "I can't just put it aside while there are Pokémon out there that would love to get their hands on it."

Suddenly the orb glows and floats out of Crystal's hands. A ray of light hits her chest and the orb infuses itself against her skin. After a moment, the Pokémon stare at the orb that is now implanted onto the Grovyle's chest.

"Looks like it answered your question," Ribo jokes as he pokes the jewel. Crystal says nothing as she stares down at the jewel on her chest. It feels strange having an object implanted onto your body. But what's even more strange is that the orb seems to have a mind of its own and has chosen Crystal to be its protector. Crystal suddenly feels uneasy but forces herself to relax.

"At least you won't worry about losing it," Rocky smiles at Crystal. Crystal returns the smile weakly. "Yeah. Let's get some sleep. We'll talk more in the morning."

The Pokémon nod and are about to head towards the cave until Crystal speaks again. "Everyone may leave except Darkrai, Raikou, and Ash. I wish to speak with them privately." The boys raise their brows while Crystal's friends walk towards the caves and retire for the night. As soon as they are gone, Crystal looks at the boys.

"I want to thank you boys for going along with the ritual," Crystal says as she smiles. "Tomorrow morning, my friends and I will start your training program. We'll explain about the basics for a few hours before we send you home. But I want to be sure that you boys will remember your promise to keep quiet about us. And don't tell them about where you will go when you come to train."

The boys nod and Crystal nods in approval. "After training, I will set up a mental link with you boys so you can call me at any time." Crystal holds up her watch. "My watch will also be charged by then so I'll summon a portal to send you boys back home. Understand so far?"

The boys nod again. Suddenly Crystal smiles sadly at the Legendaries. "I know how badly you must miss the others, especially Suicune and Cresselia."

The men look alarmed. "How do you know…?" Darkrai wonders if Crystal read his mind and knows about his affair with Cresselia. Crystal looks sly as she crosses her arms. "You don't think that just because we live on a floating island that word doesn't spread about the Legendaries and their new love lives?"

The boys suddenly look sheepish. Crystal's smile softens. "It's none of my business to know about your relationships, but I suggest that you be very careful. Terotrey is sneaky and he already knows about the Legendaries' business. He might take away your loved ones just to irk you."

The boys' eyes widen in realization. Then they narrow their eyes in determination. No way in hell is Terotrey going to take away their girlfriends.

"I can see that you guys need some rest so I'll let you sleep in my old secret hideout for the night." She points at a large boulder nearby. "There is a small panel on the boulder if you finger around for it. The code is up, down, left, and right. Make yourselves comfortable and I'll see you in the morning."

"Thank you for everything, Crystal," Raikou says as he smiles. The lizard smiles back. "It's no problem. It is an honor to serve the Legendaries." With that said, Crystal walks towards the caves and smiles at the boys over her shoulder before she disappears.

After a moment of silence, the boys glance at each other before they look at the boulder. Then they walk towards the rock and finger around the surface to find the panel. When Darkrai presses against a hidden button, a circular flat rock levitates before him that has eight different buttons. They each have different arrows pointing at different directions and Darkrai realizes that the whole thing almost looks like a compass. Then he remembers the code and presses the appropriate sequence onto the panel. When he finishes, the panel quickly infuses into the boulder and a large chunk of rock slides aside to reveal a cave entrance. The boys stare at it before they go inside the cave. The entrance closes as soon as the trio enter and a fire lights up the room.

The room is surprisingly spacious. There is a small fireplace on one side of the room with a soft black rug and a large white couch placed before it. There are two bookshelves at the corners of the room and a small table with a bowl of fresh Berries between them.

"Nice…" Raikou nods in approval as he makes himself comfortable on the rug. Ash nods in agreement while Darkrai only grunts. The human sits on the couch and covers himself with a black blanket while Darkrai fades into the darkness. Raikou and Ash could see his shadowy figure on the wall nearby the fireplace and raise their brows.

"You sure you don't want to rest by the fire, Darkrai?" Ash asks politely. The dark Legendary grunts. "I'm the creature of the dark, kid. I only sleep in the shadows."

Ash smiles sheepishly. "Right…" He hands Raikou two large pillows before he fluffs his own pillow out and lies down.

"How do you think Terotrey came back? I thought for sure that we beat him…" Raikou suddenly asks. The phantom shrugs. "I have no idea, but maybe Crystal can tell us exactly what he is tomorrow morning. There's no point worrying about it tonight."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Raikou sighs before he yawns. "Night, guys." He smacks his lips as he rests his head against the pillows and closes his eyes.

"Night, Raikou…" Darkrai and Ash reply tiredly as they fall to sleep. Ash turns away from the fireplace as the fire begins to dim. Darkrai's shadow begins to fade away as he lets darkness consume him in his sleep. The heroes finally feel relaxed as slumber takes over their consciousness.

**Feedback, comments, or reviews are appreciated!**


	8. Chapter 8: Training

**Feedback please! Note: I got rid of Sceptile and Pikachu's scene because it was pointless. I don't plan on using them too much in this story anyway.**

**And as a side note, to all my readers. Those of you who know about Dark and Luna... Understand that they will not star in this story. They only make a brief cameo through the miscarriage but that is it. And I'm not changing Blackfire's fate; it is the main climax of the story and I won't alter it.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 8: Training**

A red and white dragon flies through the forest in a rushed attempt to get away from the robotic Pokémon that are chasing her. Latias stops for a moment to catch a breath as she looks behind her. To her surprise, the robots seem to have disappeared and she sighs in relief.

Suddenly an electric net is launched at her and she hastily jumps away. She widens her eyes when she sees a cybertronic Blaziken snarling at her. It points at her. _"Essence!"_ Then it shoots another net at the dragon.

Latias squeals and jumps out of the way before she begins to fly through the foliage once more. She dodges several blasts as she speeds up. As she flies for her life, Latias ponders on what has happened. She was resting in her garden when the robots suddenly appeared and started attacking her. She managed to escape but she has been flying away from the robots for hours. How do they keep finding her?

She makes several sharp turns when more robots seem to get closer to her. Suddenly the robots stop and Latias slows down as she glances over her shoulder. What's going on?

Suddenly she feels a sharp pain in her neck and flinches. She reaches up and pulls out a needle injection from her neck. She suddenly feels sleepy and lowers down until she rests on the ground. She tries to keep her eyes open as she glances up and sees a blur of gold. When she makes out the object, she gasps.

"Aurora…?" She breathes. The golden Latias frowns sadly at Latias as she puts down her gun.

"I'm sorry, Latias…" She murmurs. Latias could hear no more as she is picked up and dragged away. Soon her world turns black.

-ooo-

"It's time to wake up, everyone! Get to your training positions quickly!"

Rocky's voice blares from the speakers in the cave tunnels. The Pokémon groan as they walk out of their rooms. Even though the morning is warm and soothing, it means hell for the soldiers. Rocky is always loud in the mornings…

"Rocky… Please…" Ribo grumbles as he floats out of his room. He sees the Rhyperior shouting orders at the soldiers in the hallway and narrows his eyes. He sighs as he rubs his temples tiredly. "Is it really necessary to wake us all up with that big mouth of yours?"

The Rhyperior turns to the psychic and snorts. He crosses his arms. "It is really necessary to wake us all up with my big mouth." He responds in a smart-ass tone. Ribo only groans as a headache begins to formulate into his brain. "Think about the kids, at least…"

Soon a few young soldiers walk up to the Rhyperior and glare irritably at him for waking them up so rudely. The Rhyperior ignores them as he smirks at Ribo. Then Gallade and Lacaria's triplets walk up to the duo. None of the four Pokémon look happy about the awakening either.

"Mr. Ribo," Ria chirps as she rubs her eyes and holds a plush Pikachu with her free arm. The duo look down at her.

"Yes, Ria?" The psychic softens up as he picks her up and holds her in his arms. "What's up, sweetie?"

Ria places a finger in her mouth while Gallade begins to order the other Pokémon out of the hallway. "Is our rooms done yet?" She asks innocently. Ribo chuckles at Ria's dislocated vocabulary and shakes his head. The triplets have to share a room with their mother but Ribo and Rocky promised that they would build the Riolu their own rooms when they have the chance to do so.

"I told you kids that we still need some time to build your rooms." Ribo says as he kneels down by Ria's brothers. "Rocky and I have been very busy helping your mother and Aunt Crystal with our jobs."

During Ribo's explanation, Rocky makes several rude faces behind the psychic and the triplets giggle at him. Ribo looks over his shoulder and Rocky would quickly straighten up and shrug innocently. Gallade sighs and shakes his head at the Rhyperior's childish act.

Ria narrows her eyes in confusion as she glances at the Rhyperior. "But Mr. Rocky doesn't need his own room. He always sleeps in his office."

Even though her statement is true, it only offends the officer. Rocky narrows his eyes at the Riolu and snaps, "Go choke on a bone, you fu-!"

"ROCKY!" Gallade and Ribo protest as they punch him in the face. The officer stumbles back and rubs his jaw while the triplets stare in confusion.

"You do not speak to a child like that!" Ribo snaps furiously. "Least of all to a young lady!"

"What would Crystal or Laki do if they heard you say that to the triplets?" Gallade growls as he crosses his arms. Rocky groans and continues to rub his jaw before he raises a brow. "Wait, where _are_ the girls at anyway?"

The Pokémon blink.

-ooo-

Crystal and her female companions walk across the valley towards her old secret base. She, Lacaria, and Scalene are each carrying two bowls of berries while Violet lazily plucks her food from her own bowl.

When they reach to the boulder, Crystal holds her bowls with one arm as she activates the panel and inserts the code. When the door slides open, Violet chuckles. "I would have thought that you'd abandoned this place years ago. It's so old that it's a wonder how it's still standing."

"I still use it. Just… Not as often as I used to…" Crystal hesitates before she shrugs. "And besides, the boys needed a place to stay and this is the only free spot that I know of. The other caves won't be finished for a while."

"Hey, Cryssy?" Laki asks.

"Yeah?"

"Where _are _the boys?"

Crystal blinks before she walks inside the base and notices that everything has been nicely cleaned up. It's like the boys haven't even slept in here. But where could the boys have gone to?

Then the lizard decides to user her telepathy. She closes her eyes and concentrates. Soon she has a blue vision of the whole island and all the living beings turn into orange blobs. Crystal notices three orange blobs on the cliffs above the valley and adjusts her vision to get a better look. Sure enough, Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash are resting on the cliff nearby a berry tree. The Legendaries seem to be sparring while the human merely watches.

Crystal smiles as she resumes her focus onto the real world. "They're up on the cliff." The girls look at Crystal curiously as she begins to walk out of the base. "It seems that the Legendaries are trying to keep themselves in shape by preparing for their training. But poor Ash is left out…"

As soon as the girls get out of the base, they look up at the cliff and see the Legendaries sparring. Violet suddenly smirks mischievously. "Why don't we show them how it's really done?" She suggests.

Lacaria grins and Scalene looks intrigued while Crystal chuckles and nods. "Let's. Vi, you do the honors."

"With pleasure," Violet smiles as the girls gather around her. She carefully adjusts the bowls in her arms as she wraps her arms around the girls. Then she closes her eyes as dark aura surrounds the Pokémon. Then the phantom pulls them down into the shadows and disappears.

-ooo-

"C'mon, kid! You can do better than that!"

"But Darkrai… We've been doing this for almost an hour… Can't I take a break?"

"Not until you get this right!"

"Grumble…"

Darkrai spreads apart his arms and narrows his eyes at the weary thunder tiger. Raikou's eyes are drooping and he looks ready to fall asleep even though Darkrai wouldn't allow him to do such a thing. The phantom snorts; the kid is such a lazyass that it's a wonder why he's even a Legendary. But if they ever hope to defeat Terotrey, then the kid is going to have to put up a better performance than this. But how can the phantom encourage the tiger to do harder?

"Don't you think that you're pushing the guy a little too hard, Darkrai?" Ash asks as he eats a berry from the tree that he is currently sitting against. "He looks like he's going to faint at any moment."

Darkrai is about to retort when he notices the tree. He pauses when a mischievous plan hits him and he smiles evilly. Suddenly he floats over to Ash and steals the large basket of berries that the human was carrying. "Hey! I was eating those!" Ash protests.

Darkrai ignores him as he looks at Raikou's bewildered look. Darkrai then uses his dark powers to summon a tangible rope to tie around the basket. He throws the rope over a branch and catches it when it lands. Then Darkrai turns to Raikou.

"Kid, you hungry?" Darkrai asks. Raikou stares at the berries and feels his stomach rumble. Then he instinctively runs over to the berries and reaches out for them…

… Until they are hoisted up into the air. Raikou couldn't stop himself as he crashes against the tree face-first. The force shakes the tree a bit and Ash yelps as he jumps up to his feet and stands aside. Raikou groans in pain as he steps back and rubs his throbbing snout. He turns to glare at Darkrai when he hears the phantom's childish snickering.

"Damn it, Darkrai…" Raikou grumbles. The phantom doesn't loosen his grip on the rope as he smirks mockingly at the thunder tiger.

"Too slow," Darkrai sneers as his eyes flash in amusement.

Raikou growls and pounces back for the basket when it is lowered. However, Darkrai hoists it up quickly and Raikou smacks against the tree again.

"Too slow," Darkrai taunts again.

Another jump and another smack against the tree.

"Too slow!"

Another jump and a smack against the tree.

"Too slow!"

Another jump and a smack against the tree.

"Too slow!"

Another jump and a smack against the tree.

"Too slow!"

Another jump and a smack against the tree.

"Too slow!"

This sequence goes on for a few minutes. Even though the sight is funny, Ash is worried that Raikou might give himself a concussion if he continues to smack his head. Darkrai is amused that Raikou hasn't stopped at this point and knows that his tactic must have woken up the thunder tiger by now. During the time Darkrai subconsciously plucks out a berry from the tree and eats it as he watches Raikou.

The boys don't notice the girls when they jump out of the shadows from Violet's powers. When they notice the boys, they walk towards them and look somewhat amused. Crystal sighs and shakes her head as she stops a few feet from the tree.

"Darkrai, haven't you tortured poor Raikou enough?" Crystal asks as she places her hands on her hips. The boys glance at her in surprise. "Where did you come from?" Ash demands.

Crystal waves a dismissive hand. "Never mind that. You boys are training hard, I see…" Crystal chuckles when she notices the basket of berries.

Darkrai finishes the remains of his berry before he speaks. "We figured that we could get started by practicing sparring, but Raikou is being lazy so I had to lure him awake by taunting him with food."

"And ruining Raikou's eating habits and making him smash his face against the tree is contributing to this… How?"

"… I dunno, but it's still funny as hell to see him get worked up." Darkrai shrugs as he smirks.

Crystal sighs and shakes her head as she walks over to the basket. She unties the rope as the picks up the basket. "Darkrai, we don't lure people to train by food. If they need to eat, then they will eat." Crystal hands the basket to Raikou and the tiger smiles gleefully before he stuffs his face hungrily. Darkrai pouts and crosses his arms. His disappointment fades away when the girls give the boys the bowels of berries that they have been carrying.

"And we won't be training you by normal sparring. We will be training you on the basic movements of how to control your affinities." Crystal adds. "These powers can take down an army of dragons so I'm serious when I say that you need to listen carefully. These moves are powerful enough to cause considerable damage upon Terotrey and his robots."

"But Terotrey said that he can only be harmed whenever he is caught off guard," Raikou points out. "I bit him when he wasn't paying attention and the bite did a little damage to him."

"Terotrey is almost close to right; he usually puts up a spell that blocks out all normal attacks. But it only works if he focuses on the shield and nothing else. However, he has never heard about our new moves and they still do damage onto him and his robots.

"How did you find out about these powers, anyway?" Darkrai asks as he finishes his bowl of food. Crystal smiles. "I taught my friends the basic movements but they found different tactics of how to control their affinities. My mother and the other exiles taught me how to control my affinity."

The Legendaries gape at Crystal in disbelief. Crystal shrugs. "It's true. It was a few days before we were captured when they taught me different moves on how to control an affinity. And now my friends and I are going to teach you about what we know."

"You are getting on the right track though…" Violet muses as she crosses her arms. "The basics require a lot of movement and tons of patience."

"We're capable of that," Darkrai says confidentially. Violet scoffs. "Are you, now?"

Darkrai stares at the girl almost offensively. "What does that mean?"

Violet shrugs. "Nothing. Just wondering if you are capable of handling this kind of stuff. It isn't easy…"

"Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe…"

"Then let's get on with it!" Darkrai smirks in confidence. Crystal is about to protest but thinks the better of it and decides to stand back. She gently pushes Laki, Scalene, Raikou, and Ash behind the tree as they watch the ghosts.

Darkrai and Violet float a few feet away from each other and remain still. They study each other carefully as the wind blows through their slim bodies. Darkrai suddenly launches forward and strikes out his fist. Violet steps aside and grabs his fist in the palm of her hand. She shakes her head and smirks before she pulls Darkrai towards her and kicks him in the stomach. The phantom groans in pain as he kneels down. Then Violet pulls him up and throws him over her shoulder onto the unforgiving ground. Darkrai yelps from her unexpected strength and groans in pain by the harsh contact with the ground.

When Darkrai hoists himself up, Violet lets out a war cry and begins to use flexible movements to beat the daylights out of him. Darkrai is quickly surprised by how strong and quick the female ghost is. Suddenly she kicks him on the back and Darkrai lands onto the ground face first. He grumbles something unintelligible as he spits dirt out of his mouth.

"Oh, dear," Violet says claps her hands and places them on her hips. She smirks at the fallen phantom. "I see the effect that your training has done, old man."

Darkrai glares at the phantom before he swings his legs around and trips her. Violet yelps in surprise as Darkrai pins her down. He tightens his trip on her wrists as he puts his weight down onto her. Violet glares up at him before she fades into the shadows.

"Hey! Get back here!" He yells as he fades into the shadows after the clone. The heroes are left alone and they glance at each other.

Suddenly they see shadow figures moving around on the ground before the phantoms jump into the light and wrestle each other to death. Violet manages to sit on Darkrai's back as she pulls his legs back forcefully. Darkrai protests and pounds his fists against the ground. Raikou and Ash couldn't help but snicker at the sight.

Then Violet lets go of Darkrai and quickly floats away from him. The male phantom quickly jumps up and looks around for Violet until he sees her waving at him mockingly from several feet away. He narrows his eyes and holds his hands together to summon a Shadow Ball.

Violet only places her hands behind her as she waits. When the phantom throws the ball at her, she holds out her arms and catches the orb. She suddenly infuses it with a dark aura and enlarges the size before she throws it back at the bewildered phantom. Darkrai didn't have time to avoid the attack as it makes the ground explode. Almost everyone in the valley stopped and stared up at the cliff in bewilderment when they saw the explosion.

The heroes hide behind the tree and grimace at the loud explosion. When the ground stops shaking, they uneasily peek over the tree bark before they come out of their hiding spot. They could see a stiff and burnt Darkrai standing at his spot with stunned eyes. The tip of his blackened hair is on fire and Violet smiles smugly as she floats over to him. She puts out the fire with her fingers and crosses her arms. "That's how it's done."

Without another word, the clone turns around and flies towards the valley.

Suddenly Darkrai's stunned expression turns into pure anger. He clenches his fists tightly and Crystal could sense his aura blaring from his rage. She sees the flames in the phantom's eyes and tries to ease the situation when she places a hand on his shoulder. "… Well, let's all get down to the valley and we'll begin with the training…"

Darkrai is too furious to speak so he only nods. Then Crystal gently takes his arm and leads the Pokémon down the stairs of the cliffs. Laki and Scalene wisely choose not to say anything out of fear of angering Darkrai even more. But Ash and Raikou couldn't hold back their laughter as they join the phantom's side. They grin like idiots and Raikou couldn't hold back the urge to tease the Legendary.

"Dude, you got your ass kicked by a girl…"

"_Shut up…"_

-ooo-

"You guys ready?"

The heroes are standing in a grassland that happens to be a few miles below the Garden of Eden. Crystal thought that it would be wise to train the Legendaries at a place where other Pokémon wouldn't watch them. After Rocky uses the base's computer to transport the heroes down to the ground, they look around their surroundings before Crystal starts the training program. Darkrai seems to have calmed down after his encounter with Violet but he is visibly nasty whenever he speaks to her.

Crystal places her hands on her hips as she stares at her friends. She inhales the scent of the various flowers around them as she watches the Legendaries stretch their arms. Then Darkrai responds, "Yeah, we're ready."

Crystal nods in approval. "Good. Raikou, you will train with Rocky and Scalene. Darkrai, you are training with Violet and Ribo. And Ash, you are training with me, Gallade, and Laki."

The Pokémon nod before they go their separate ways.

-ooo-

Violet leads her comrade and trainee towards a small lake before she faces the duo. She clasps her hands as she smiles at Darkrai. "OK, 'Rai. Are you ready to learn how to kick robot ass?"

Darkrai blinks. _'Rai… Cresselia is the only person that calls me that…'_

Darkrai lowers his gaze almost sadly. He misses his girlfriend terribly and he has no doubt that she must be worried sick about him. But he knows that it is only a few hours until they will see each other again. He wonders about how she is taking his disappearance.

"Darkrai?" Ribo calls out to the phantom. Darkrai looks up and notices his trainer's concerned look. He shakes his head before he focuses. "I'm ready." He says confidentially.

-ooo-

Scalene and Rocky stop by the forest and use their technology to sense other Pokémon before they turn to Raikou. Rocky grins excitedly while Scalene smiles patiently. "You ready, Raikou?"

'_They are a lot like Atsila and Bouldarin.'_ Raikou muses before he nods. "I'm ready."

-ooo-

Crystal leads her friends towards the middle of the meadow before she turns to face Ash. She and Laki let go of Ash's hands as they smile at him. "Are you ready to learn the secrets of controlling the aura?" Crystal asks almost proudly.

Ash smirks and runs a hand through his hair as his eyes flash in determination. "I'm ready."

**Comments or feedback, please!**


	9. Chapter 9: Training and Terror

**This chapter made a great improvement; I shortened it at least by 11 freakin pages! XD And yes, the training is a bit based on Kung Fu Panda, but what can I say; I love the movie! And I dunno why, but I can somehow visualize Raikou being voiced by Jack Black...**

**Support, please!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 9: Training and Terror**

Darkrai and Violet face each other while Ribo stands between then and makes sure that they have an equal distance away from each other.

"Come and get some, _old man_." Violet taunts. Darkrai growls and narrows his eyes at the clone. The duo exchange a glaring contest and Darkrai suddenly takes notice how red Violet's eyes are. He hesitates when he sees Eclipso through them. He feels horrible about scolding his younger brother with cruel words instead of comforting him as every older sibling should.

"Darkrai? Is there something wrong?" Ribo places a hand on Darkrai's shoulder. Darkrai blinks before he shakes his head. "No. I'm fine."

Ribo looks skeptical before he shrugs. He isn't going to press onto the matter if Darkrai doesn't want to talk about it. "All right then. The first lesson is to find your enemy's weak spot." Suddenly Ribo leans closely to Darkrai and whispers. "And by the way, Violet has a thing about people touching her neck."

Darkrai frowns and raises a brow as Ribo floats over to the middle of the battlefield. "Um… OK?" He shrugs before he focuses on Violet and clenches his fists. She's going to pay for barbecuing him this morning.

"You ready, Violet?" The phantom calls. Violet calls back to him. "I was born ready, Grandpa."

"Let's get it on!" Soon the duo charge at each other and dodge every attack aimed at them. They would fade into the shadows and attack each other in their dark forms. Ribo had a hard time watching the duo since they blend in against the grassy fields. The other two groups are teaching their own trainee about basic defensive positions. Ash copies his trainers' movements while Raikou uses his speed and electrical attacks on his trainers.

Darkrai grunts when Violet punches his stomach. He falls down to his knees while she wrings her wrists patiently. He quickly dodges another kick and trips Violet down. She lands on her stomach and Darkrai straddles her as he tightens his hold on her arms. He summons a Dark Void to ensure that Violet wouldn't escape through the shadows again. Suddenly Darkrai thinks about Ribo's statement and begins to stroke her neck. Violet tenses before she shudders against the ground. Darkrai could have sworn that she was giggling.

Then temptation hits the phantom and he begins to tickle Violet's waist. The clone turns her head and lets out another laugh. Darkrai smirks as vengeance overwhelms his systems and he begins to tickle the female phantom to death. Violet screams in laughter and tries to remove Darkrai's hands while she kicks and squirms underneath him. Darkrai doesn't know why, but seeing Violet under him and pleading for mercy is worth all the trouble.

Ribo leans against a boulder and smiles as he watches the duo. He could sense the thrill radiating from the duo knows that they are already closely acquainted despite their differences. Violet continues to laugh as tears leak from her eyes. Darkrai holds a mischievous glint in his eyes as he continues to tickle her.

"No fair!" Violet whines as she squirms. She was laughing so hard to the point where her stomach is beginning to cramp. "You can't tickle your enemy to death!"

"Who says?" Darkrai asks challengingly as he takes pleasure in tormenting his partner.

Soon the other groups notice what's going on and raise their brows. Crystal couldn't help but smile at the sight before she orders everyone to focus on their training.

Ribo decides to break up the fun by pulling the phantoms away from each other. He holds them away at arm's length. "Ok, that's enough. As nice as it is that you both are getting along, we really need to focus on our training."

Violet huffs and crosses her arms while Darkrai looks surprised. He finally realizes what he did and is tempted to smack himself. He has always thought himself as a loner Pokémon but now he is tickling a girl that he despises and respects. Sure it was fun, but it goes against his ways and it makes him look like a softie. However, it doesn't explain why he feels strange whenever he looks at Violet or is near her.

Darkrai honestly feels some sort of a bond with Violet. He knows that she understands his dark preferences and beliefs that even Cresselia wouldn't understand. Even though they are different, they respect each other in a mutual sense. Violet is childish and egotistical but Darkrai still enjoys her company as much as she likes his presence.

Darkrai's eyes widen. How could this be? He has already promised himself that he would belong only to Cresselia… But now… Is he really falling for his brother's arrogant and prissy clone? The idea itself is preposterous and impossible!

Violet and Cresselia may have a few things in common, but they are too different in various things. Cresselia is sweet and compassionate while Violet is arrogant and selfish. Cresselia is Darkrai's counterpart and he has known her since the beginning of time; Violet is but a mere projection that he has met barely two days ago.

Then the phantom realizes that it's going to be hard looking at Cresselia after he reunites with her. How would she react if she knows about this? Sure she might be angry or jealous, but Darkrai cannot bear the thought of her hating him. The phantom sighs and shakes his head out of frustration.

After Ribo asks Violet to gather some berries from the forest, he notices Darkrai's frustrated look and raises a brow. This is the third time today that Darkrai has been distracted and the psychic knows that something must be bothering the phantom. He floats over to Darkrai and stands before the pensive phantom before he shakes his shoulders gently.

"Darkrai. Darkrai!" He calls.

Darkrai blinks and looks up at Ribo's face in a startled manner. Ribo looks stern and somewhat annoyed. "Are you OK?" the psychic asks again.

Darkrai narrows his eyes as he removes Ribo's hands from his shoulders. "I'm fine, Ribo."

Unfortunately, the psychic isn't going to let the situation go. "No, you're not. This is the third time today that I've seen you look distracted by something." Ribo says sternly as he crosses his arms and narrows his eyes at the Legendary. "It's obvious that something is bothering you."

"Your point?" Darkrai snaps as he glares at the psychic. His personal issues is none of the psychics business.

"My point is that you cannot concentrate on the training if you are distracted." Ribo's eyes soften before he sighs. "I'm just saying that maybe I can help you fix the problem. Is it very personal?"

Darkrai raises a brow at the psychic. Ribo could easily read the phantom's mind but he is being respectful enough to hold back and let Darkrai speak his thoughts out. Then Darkrai decides that he may need help with his predicament after all. And if Crystal is right, then Ribo will be honorable and not say a word about it to another soul.

Darkrai hesitates as he runs his hand through his hair uneasily. "Well… I was thinking about Cresselia."

Ribo nods in understanding. "Yes, your counterpart. She's also your girlfriend, if I'm correct?"

Darkrai nods. Ribo places a hand on his hip as he cups his chin thoughtfully. "Based on what I hear about the Legendaries, they tend to argue with their counterparts because of their differences. Are you unsure of your relationship with Cresselia because of your differences?"

Somewhat surprised, Darkrai shakes his head. "No, nothing like that. We may argue about some things, but our disagreements never get the best of us. I was only thinking about how she is doing right now."

"I'll bet that she must be worried sick. All mates are like that when their loved ones are missing." Ribo then looks thoughtful as he stares at the phantom. "And another thing troubles you."

Darkrai hesitates. "… Yes."

"Does it have anything to do with Violet?" Ribo asks. When he sees Darkrai's arm twitch, he knows the answer. "You like her too, don't you?"

Darkrai glances uneasily at Ribo, but the psychic looks unimpressed as he glances at the forest. "I understand completely, Darkrai. You love Cresselia but you can also love another person at the same time. It is natural to have feelings for more than one person, but the hardest part about your predicament is which girl to choose. Women do not like to share their mates so you will have to simply remain friends with one of them and hold the other as your lover."

"I know that I love Cresselia," Darkrai snorts as he crosses his arms. "What I probably feel for Violet is just a mutual bond. I barely know her anyway." Darkrai doesn't know why, but he could feel a dark burning inside his chest but he tries to ignore it.

"Do you?" Ribo asks. "For all you know, you could be having a mutual bond with Cresselia and feel love for Violet and not realize which feeling is which."

"I'm not an idiot, Ribo. I know the difference between love and friendship." Darkrai growls as he clenches his fists. How dare the psychic question about his love for Cresselia? Darkrai suddenly begins to feel angry and he is praying that Ribo would stop before he gets hurt. Now he regrets confessing to the telepath.

Ribo looks uneasy before he focuses on his goal. He has an idea on how to activate Darkrai's affinity but he probably won't get out of it without being snapped in half. However, Ribo needs to know for sure about how Darkrai can trigger his affinity and use it for his advantage. "I'm just saying that your relationship seems strange. You and Cresselia are too different to be together."

"And how would you know?" Darkrai snarls darkly. "You don't know me or Cresselia so you have no right to claim that." Darkrai is unaware that his body is engulfed by a dark aura as he glares at the psychic. The other groups notice what is going on and widen their eyes in bewilderment. Crystal suddenly calls for a time out and rushes towards the duo.

Ribo continues to press onto the matter and acts ignorant even though he is quite nervous. "While that may be true, you are counterparts. You are so different that your relationship might not even last for a while."

Darkrai says nothing as he lowers his gaze and glares at the ground. "Shut up…" He mutters quietly but Ribo doesn't hear him.

"I know about your profile, Darkrai. I think that any chance of you maintaining a healthy relationship with Cresselia is very slim. You might end up hurting her at the end."

That does it. Darkrai snaps his head up to glare at the psychic with burning eyes. His aura seems to flare and the groups step back in alarm. From behind the foliage, Violet stares at the boys with wide eyes as she clutches a basket of berries in her hands. Crystal runs even faster to stop Darkrai before he lets out his anger.

"SHUT UP!" Darkrai roars as he shoots a dark blast at the telepath. Ribo didn't have time to dodge when the blast hits him squarely on the chest and sends him flying back. He crashes against a boulder and lands on the ground in a crumpled heap.

Everything turns deadly silent as the Pokémon stare at the scene in shock and disbelief. Crystal glances at the unconscious Ribo before she looks at an aggravated Darkrai. The phantom's aura begins to fade and he takes a deep breath to calm down. The phantom blinks and realization hits him as he stares at Ribo's body in horror and bewilderment.

"Uh-oh…"

-ooo-

"Sorry for attacking you like that."

Ribo only groans in pain as he rests against the boulder that he crashed against. Violet and Crystal carefully wrap bandages around his damaged spine and broken arm as the Pokémon watch from around them. The female phantom has placed aside the berries to tend to the psychic's wounds.

Darkrai looks guilty as he grimaces at what he did. He looks at the crack on the boulder and notices small trails of blood drying on the surface. He had no idea that his anger could trigger such a powerful move but he knows that he needs to be careful from now on. It has almost killed his trainer and has possibly strained his relationship with the other Pokémon.

Ribo strangely looks satisfied as he nods curtly at Darkrai. He winces when Crystal tightens the bandage on his waist as she glares at him. She has read the boys' mind and knows what happened. She is disappointed in Darkrai for easily losing his temper and is annoyed at Ribo for nearly getting himself killed through a simple theory. The trio had a mental conversation and agreed to keep quiet about Darkrai's predicament. Violet would surely have a heart attack if she finds out that Darkrai has a crush on her. Crystal will talk with Darkrai privately about the issue later. Darkrai feels somewhat relieved but betrayed that Ribo has lied to him about his thoughts on Darkrai's relationship with Cresselia; the psychic really supports the lovers and has only irked Darkrai to activate his powers.

After finishing bandaging the wounds, Crystal places her fingers on Ribo's temples and uses Recover. Once she is done, the bones are healed but the bleeding stitches remain visible. Crystal has limited power when it comes to healing Pokémon; she can heal one body section at a time. She wisely decides to heal Ribo's broken bones and orders him to let the stitches heal in time. Ribo is thankful for Crystal's advice since he has no problems floating around with stitches on his arms and ribs.

Ribo carefully stands up with Violet and Crystal's help. The female phantom finally glances at Darkrai accusingly. "What happened that made you trigger the dark affinity, anyway?"

Darkrai blinks. "That power I used was the dark affinity?"

Violet nods curtly while Crystal stares thoughtfully at the phantom. "It is unusual for someone to call upon an affinity that they never even knew that they had." Crystal muses. Then she shakes her head as she looks at Ribo and Violet. "Ribo, you stay here and get some rest. Violet, you stay with him and watch over him. I'll take over Darkrai's training program."

Violet looks confused. "But what happened earlier?"

"Nothing." Crystal shakes her head and doesn't press onto the matter. "It's already taken care of. Just stay here and get some rest."

"But-"

Crystal gives Violet a steely glare that makes the phantom turn silent. The lizard's golden orbs flash warningly and Violet immediately drops the subject. "… OK." She mutters as she sits beside Ribo.

Crystal sighs before she leads the other Pokémon towards the middle of the meadow. She looks at her friends. "How far is your process coming?" She asks Rocky and Scalene.

Rocky shrugs as he glances at Raikou. "Thunder boy is quick on his feet, but he is not very defensive on offensive attacks."

"Same thing for Ash," Crystal murmurs as she glances at the human. Then she looks at her friends. "You guys go sit down and relax with Ribo and Violet. I'll train the boys from here."

The Pokémon glance at each other before they stare uneasily at Darkrai. It's obvious that they are debating on leaving him with their leader. Then they shrug and walk towards the foliage and make themselves comfortable.

Crystal looks at Darkrai. "You and I will talk after training." She says in a calm voice. Darkrai knows that there's no argument in her tone and only nods.

Then Crystal faces the three boys and places her hands behind her. Ash and Raikou look intrigued while Darkrai looks bored as he crosses his arms.

"OK, based on what I have seen and heard, you boys are prepared to train. But when you focus on your tactics and control your anger… You stink."

The heroes look offended but Crystal continues. "But perhaps that is my fault. You are Legendaries and a human child. Therefore, I cannot expect to train you the same way I have trained my friends. I cannot be offensive in any way to urge you to try hard. But I see that the way I can get through to you boys… Is with this." Crystal holds up a basket of berries and smiles at the boys' stunned look.

Then they let out sighs of relief when they realize that it is lunchtime. "Great, cause I'm hungry." Raikou murmurs.

Crystal chuckles and takes away the basket when the boys reach out for it. "Good. When you boys are done training on the basics, then you may eat. Let's start." Crystal plucks a berry and eats it as she turns away from the deflated heroes.

Crystal almost laughs when she hears Raikou and Ash whining. She hears Darkrai scoff. "Whatever happened to not using food to train, Crystal?"

Crystal recalls what happened earlier this morning and smiles over her shoulder. "You were using that method to smash Raikou against a tree. My training tactics are _much_ more effective…"

-ooo-

Darkness.

That's all she could see. She couldn't speak and even thinking hurts. She can only feel the cold and damp ground below her. Soon Latias' senses slowly return and she sniffs the air. The scent of fresh blood hits her nose and she scrunches up her face in disgust. She opens her eyes and her vision is blurry until she blinks several times. She frowns as she floats up and looks around in bewilderment. She could hear some flies nearby and realizes that she is in a small cage cell. The only sources of light are the lit torches hanging on the walls. Latias grows horrified when she sees several corpses in different cells. Then she notices a window above her cell and looks over the bars to see a strange dimension with black and purple skies and floating islands.

Latias gapes in bewilderment. Where on Earth is she?

Then Latias decides that she needs to get out of the cell fast. She floats over to the gate and grasps the bars. Her touch activates electricity through the bars and Latias yelps as she backs away in alarm. Suddenly a door opens and Latias turns to see Terotrey entering the prison. She stares at the scientist in horror and disbelief as he walks up to her cell and smirks at the dragon.

"Why, hello again, Latias." Terotrey greets. "It is so nice of you to drop by to see me again. I was beginning to think that the Legendaries had forgotten about me."

Latias looks nervous before she narrows her eyes threateningly at the human. "Who would want to remember someone as horrible as you are?" She snaps. She knows that humans cannot understand Pokémon language so Terotrey would be clueless about her threat.

However, the scientist frowns at Latias. "I was merely being polite. If you're going to be that way, then I might as well treat you as my prisoner."

Latias gapes at the human. "You can understand me? How?"

Terotrey smirks. "You and the Legendaries have no idea about who you are dealing with, but you should know by now that I am full of surprises. Even Darkrai and Raikou know that by now."

Latias gasps. "Where are those boys and what have you done to them?" She demands.

Terotrey chuckles. "Nothing yet. Blackfire's daughter helped them escape from me." Suddenly the doctor frowns. "She is getting smarter with her tactics, though…"

Latias blinks. "Did you just say Blackfire? And she has a daughter?" Like the other Legendaries, Latias knows that Blackfire was banished because she was pregnant. But the dragon didn't think that the exile would survive this long and keep her child alive in the process. Latias couldn't help but wonder what the child is like.

Terotrey snorts in amusement. "That is correct. My ancestors have captured them a few years after their exile. Blackfire would always claim that she still loves Arceus after what he has done to her and their child."

"Their child?" Latias repeats uneasily. "She's Arceus' daughter?"

"Yes, Latias." A voice says softly and Latias looks around in surprise. Terotrey smiles and waves a hand. "Blackfire, dear. Why don't you come out and explain this better to Latias?"

Suddenly a black vapor forms beside Terotrey and takes the form of the exile that Latias hasn't seen in about 1,500 years. "Blackfire!" Latias gasps. She smiles in happiness of seeing a familiar face but frowns when she notices the unhappy look on Blackfire's face. The qilinlike being turns her head away in shame and Latias looks concerned. "Blackfire, what's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Yes, Blackfire. Tell her what's wrong." Terotrey sneers as he places a hand on her hoof. "Or do you want me to tell her."

Blackfire shakes her head. "… No…"

"You don't want to tell Latias?" Blackfire opens her mouth but Terotrey continues. "Fine, then I will tell her." The scientist looks back at Latias and smirks. "After Blackfire and the other exiled Legendaries were captured, my ancestors have experimented on them for different purposes. However, the exiles has pledged undying loyalty to my family before my ancestors promised to keep Blackfire's daughter alive. But when the brat escaped, my ancestors kept the exiles and experimented on them to find different ways on how to capture the real Legendaries. They have considered transforming Pokémon into drones but they didn't have the technology to do it. So when the exiles were passed down to me, I decided to create an army of robots and used the remains of the exiles' essences into helping me find the real Legendaries. The exiles have agreed to help me with my goal as long as I keep their daughter/goddaughter alive. And Blackfire has agreed to become my queen after my goal is reached."

Latias is speechless as she gapes at Terotrey. Then she switches her gaze between Blackfire and Terotrey before disbelief is sketched onto her face. She couldn't breathe when she speaks. "B-Blackfire… Tell me that he isn't telling the truth… _Please_ tell me that he's lying…"

Blackfire says nothing as she stares sadly at Latias' pleading stare. She hesitates before she slowly shakes her head.

Terotrey isn't lying.

Latias begins to cry as she gazes up at Blackfire in sorrow and betrayal. "How could you, Blackfire? How could you do this to us? To Arceus?"

"I had no choice… I had to protect my daughter. She is the only thing that matters to me now…" Blackfire murmurs weakly as Terotrey wraps a possessive arm around her foot.

Latias could understand the maternal love that Blackfire has for her child, but it still doesn't change what she is doing. She is sacrificing her life to protect an illegitimate child that is the heir to the Legendary throne.

"We will leave you to your thoughts," Terotrey says as he leads Blackfire out of the prison. "So be good and I might take it easy on you for the next few days."

Terotrey smirks as he leaves the room. Blackfire gives Latias one last sad glance before the doors close. Latias is silent as she stares at the steel doors for a long time. Of all the things that she has forgotten to ask, she still doesn't know how Terotrey has been brought back to life.

"Is he gone?" A voice asks. Latias jumps in alarm and looks around the room for the source of the noise.

"Yep." Another voice responds. Latias blinks when another source of light erupts and she sees a pink Moltres glowing from the cage beside her. The bird's flames illuminate the room and Latias sees several different colored Legendaries surrounding her. The dragon notices how sick they look but ignores it as relief washes through her.

"Aurora? Marco? Jade? Is that you?"

The Pokémon freeze and turn to look at Latias with wide eyes. Suddenly the black Rayquaza crawls over and carefully reaches over to Latias through the bars. "Latias? How did you get here?"

"Remember when Terotrey sent me out this morning?" The gold Latias says suddenly. The Pokémon look at her questionably and Aurora suddenly looks uncomfortable and shameful. "Well, he actually gave me orders to hunt down Latias and to bring her here."

Latias gapes at Aurora in disbelief as she clutches the Rayquaza known as Jade's hand. She did what?"

There is silence before a familiar phantom and a tiger walk up to inspect Latias. They narrow their eyes at her while Latias' eyes flash in relief. "Eclipso! Saberspark!"

"Latias." They murmur softly as they carefully reach out to her over the bars. Latias lets go of Jade's hand and clutches the duo's hands tightly. "If it were any other circumstance, then this would be a nice reunion." Saberspark muses.

Latias lets go of the boys and smiles somewhat sadly at them. "I know what you mean. But how did you guys get involved with Terotrey anyway? I know that he said that his ancestors kidnapped you, but he didn't explain how."

Eclipso sighs as he leans back. "Well, it happened a few years after Crystal was born and-"

"Crystal?" Latias raises a brow. Saberspark clears his throat. "Blackfire's daughter."

"Oh." Latias nods in understanding and urges the phantom to continue.

"As I was saying, it happened a few years after Crystal was born. When Blackfire was exiled, she came to us and we helped her through her labor. She nominated us as Crystal's guardians and we would often watch over Crystal. We weren't really in our games back then because we were distracted by seeing how happy Crystal was when she plays around. Seeing the child being so happy was priceless and her giggles were infectious." Eclipso smiles at the memory. "Suddenly a few nets grabbed us and hauled us away. Our capturers have used torturous methods on experimenting us and left a few of us scarred for life. However, Crystal escaped a few centuries later and we were stunned by her audacity to leave."

"What does that mean?" Suddenly Latias looks suspicious. "If she could escape at such a young age, then why couldn't you guys? Can't you escape through Eclipso's shadowbending powers?"

"We could, but we can't." Eclipso shakes his head firmly. When Latias gives him an incredulous look, he sighs. "We promised Terotrey's ancestors that we'd work for their family as long as they do not hurt Crystalline. We love her too much to risk any chances and stayed with them for the next centuries. Besides…"

Suddenly Eclipso holds his arm up and Latias sees a tracker implanted into his skin. Her eyes widen in horror when she notices more trackers on the other exiles' arms. "Terotrey has implanted a tracker and a transmitter into us. He will know where we are and he will send a terminal virus into our bloodstreams if he finds out that we escaped." Eclipso explains as he lowers his arm.

"We'd help you escape, but there's nowhere to run or hide at in Terotrey's Realm." Saberspark adds sadly. "Any chance of encountering a portal is very slim."

Latias suddenly looks ill. "But surely Crystal has come back to set you guys free?"

"Actually, she tried to break Blackfire out at one point." Eclipso muses. "Just a few years ago she snuck back to Terotrey's ancestor's home to see her mother, but Blackfire refused to leave because of her vows to Terotrey's ancestors. Instead, Blackfire gives Crystal an important item before she tells Crystal to leave."

"What item?" Latias asks curiously.

"Arceus' Jewel of Life." Eclipso responds. Latias looks gobsmacked while he continues. "Blackfire knew that the jewel wouldn't be safe with her while she was imprisoned so she gave her daughter the honor of protecting Arceus' soul. She disguised it as an accessory so even Crystal has no idea of what the item really is."

Latias looks like she is about to faint from the shock of everything that she is hearing. Suddenly she looks uneasy. "Does anyone know about Crystal's heritage?"

"Only we and Blackfire know; we never told another soul about who her father is. We knew that it would create chaos if Terotrey knows that a new Legendary is on the loose."

Latias nods in agreement as she forces herself to calm down. She takes a deep breath as she relaxes. Then she remember something and looks curious. "Last month, the Legendaries and I have fought against Terotrey. We shot a blast at him that should have killed him. How is he still alive?"

The exiles look uneasy as they glance at each other. Then they look back at Latias. "We… Honestly don't know. We think that he might be more than just a brilliant human. He might even be a Pokémon." Saberspark admits.

"A Pokémon?" Latias asks in confusion. The tiger nods and he looks suspicious. "Lately we noticed that Terotrey's been acting more strange after he transformed himself into a dragon. He keeps saying that he doesn't need the Legendaries' essences anymore and he acts more like a spiritual demon. All Pokémon moves go through him like ghosts and he bleeds black blood… That's a bit out of the normal, don't you think?"

The Pokémon look thoughtful as they nod in agreement. "For all we know, he might be capturing the Legendaries now only out of revenge." Eclipso adds. Then he glances at the others. "Let's all agree to keep a close watch on Terotrey. Knowing how sneaky he is, he's up to something and I can tell that it's only going to get worse."

"Aye…" The Pokémon nod in agreement before they yawn. "Let's get some sleep; we'll talk more about this later." Saberspark suggests.

The Pokémon don't say anything as they spread around in their cage and make themselves comfortable. Saberspark and Eclipso nod at Latias before they move towards their counterparts. Latias remains silent before she floats to the middle of her cage and lies down. She glances at the exiles as the pink Moltres' fire begins to dim and the Pokémon fall soundly to sleep against the uncomfortable ground.

-ooo-

Crystal was serious when she said that her training tactics would be more effective.

The heroes have spent endless hours copying Crystal's movements and they have taken in several hits to learn how to be defensive. Crystal has used the food as the main 'protectee' targets that the boys would need to protect from her. However, their several attempts to protect or even eat the food would always fail. Crystal would always swipe the boys off their feet and eat the fruit before their faces.

The boys also had to perform sit-ups and pushups that were almost impossible to handle. Crystal has put up pit fires to make the boys do pushups harder and orders them to perform sit-ups on tree branches that hang over a cliff. The boys aren't sure if Crystal is purposely trying to kill them.

Raikou's paws and shoulders are sore from all the jumps and defenses that he had to perform. Even though the sit-ups and pushups were easy for him, he hated the fact that a small Grovyle could still trip him down. Darkrai's old age has made several of his bones crack and he was no better off than the tiger is. Crystal has forced him to walk on his legs during the training and the phantom realizes how much he never really used his legs since he relies on floating around. He is starting to regret it. Ash had the hardest time dealing with the defensive movements since he has very sensitive skin. He took the longest time to perform perfect flips and movements. But by the time he would stop and rest, he would have several bruises on his arms and his muscles would ache.

Finally Crystal decides that the boys had enough with their training and sets up a picnic in the middle of the meadow on top of a flat boulder. She sits on the blanket and takes out four bowls with chopsticks from the basket. She takes out a large bowl of triangular donuts and sets it between her and the three bowls.

She looks up at the boys' dumbfounded looks and holds up her chopsticks. "After you, boys." She smiles.

The boys look suspicious as they walk up to the picnic blanket. "That's it? No pushups or sit-ups? No hikes up and down the cliffs?" Darkrai asks as he narrows his eyes at the girl.

Crystal only smiles and shrugs. "I vowed to train you boys on the basic movements, and you have been trained. Just as I promised you, you are free to eat." She points at the donuts before her.

The boys are silent as they stare skeptically at Crystal. Then they slowly sit down and pick up their bowls hastily. They drag their chopsticks towards them and hastily pick up a donut while they stare at Crystal carefully.

"Enjoy." Crystal grins. Then the boys return the grin and bring the donuts up to their mouths…

… Until a blur of black and white swooshes past them and snatches the donuts away. "Hey!" The boys yell as they glare at Crystal. The lizard quickly chews the donuts and swallows before she looks up innocently at the boys. "I said that you're free to eat. Have a donut."

The boys glare at Crystal before they pick up more donuts. But Crystal slaps their hands and grabs the donuts while the trio yell out in anger. Crystal smirks as she stuffs the donuts into her mouth and chews before she swallows.

The Pokémon glare at Crystal with intense glares while she smirks up at them. "You are free to eat!" Crystal says firmly.

"Are we?" Raikou asks dramatically as he smirks at Crystal.

"Are you?" Crystal shoots back as she twirls around her chopsticks. Then the thunder tiger slams his fist down and causes the whole picnic blanket to jump up into the air. While everything scatters around, Crystal hastily jumps up and stuffs all but one donut into her mouth. Raikou quickly jumps up to swallow the donut but Darkrai manages to grab the donut with his chopsticks. While the thunder tiger falls down onto the ground, Darkrai puts the donut towards his mouth until Ash spreads apart his chopsticks and makes the donut fall into one of the three bowls.

Crystal hastily puts her chopsticks around the donut and begins to move it around the bowl when the boys attempt to pluck at it. Then she flips the bowl over and smirks as she begins to switch the three bowls around to confuse the boys. Raikou flips a random bowl around and finds the hidden donut before the boys use their chopsticks to grab it. Crystal slams her chopsticks against the boys until Raikou throws up the plate and attempts to grab the donut. However, Crystal throws one of her chopsticks and it catches the donut and hangs it onto a nearby tree.

Then Crystal jumps onto Raikou's back and attempts to jump towards the donut until Darkrai grabs her foot and slams her down onto the ground. The Pokémon notice that the donut is slipping out from the chopstick and Crystal hastily grabs Darkrai's arm and flips him over her shoulder. Darkrai lands on his feet and attempts to knock her down until she throws him against the charging Raikou and Ash.

The Pokémon realize that the donut has slipped from the chopstick. Raikou pushes the three heroes away as he opens his mouth to swallow the donut. However, Ash quickly slams the tiger's mouth shut with his chopsticks and uses his arm to let the donut roll down towards his mouth. Darkrai floats up from the shadows and slaps the donut away from the duo and Crystal kicks it towards another part of the meadow. When the boys quickly run after it, Crystal smiles as she throws aside her remaining chopstick and runs after them.

Crystal attempts to trip the boys as they throw the donut up into the air multiple times. They dodge several of Crystal's strikes and manage to trip her down. Darkrai and Raikou throw Ash up into the air and the human slices the donut into three pieces with his chopsticks. Crystal stares in awe as the boys land beside each other and catch the three pieces simultaneously.

Crystal smiles as she watches the boys catch their breath and look at their divided pieces. Then they look back at Crystal. Crystal smiles and nods approvingly as she gestures them to eat. But to her surprise, the boys throw the pieces into her hands. She stares at the pieces before she glances at the boys with a raised brow.

The boys smile at her. "We're not hungry."

Crystal stares before she smiles and throws aside the donut remains. The boys walk up to Crystal and smile down at her. The Pokémon stare at each other in silence before Crystal surprises the boys with a hug. "Well done, boys. You are ready." She murmurs.

When she lets them go, the boys only smile. Suddenly they hear clapping.

"Dude, that was _so_ awesome!" Rocky's voice shouts. The boys look bewildered while Crystal smiles as they watch the lizard's friends pop up from the shadows by Violet's power. The Pokémon are applauding while they have impressed smiles on their faces.

"That was great!" Violet grins. She surprises Darkrai when she gives him a friendly hug. "You did well, _Legendary_."

Darkrai hesitates before he returns the hug and gently pushes the phantom away afterwards.

"Amazing," Scalene smiles as she runs her hand through Ash's hair. "You boys have completed the basics in very little time. Your performances are outstanding."

"I knew that you could do it!" Laki grins excitedly. "You're ready to take on the next level!"

Crystal looks at the sun and notices that it's setting in the distance. She looks at her watch and looks surprised. "It's already five in the evening." She murmurs. The Pokémon blink and look at the lizard.

"Seriously?" Ash asks.

"I should have sent you boys home hours ago," Crystal mutters as she shakes her head. Then she shrugs. "No matter." She looks at Darkrai. "Darkrai, I want to talk to you… Privately." Then she looks at her friends. "You guys can go back to your duties. I'll send the boys home."

Darkrai suddenly feels uneasy when he realizes that Crystal wants to talk about his situation with Cresselia and Violet. With a hesitant nod, the duo walk away from the group and stop by the forest before they start talking.

"Yeah, it's almost time for my patrol." Rocky says as he stretches his arms. Then he walks over to Raikou and Ash and pets their shoulders. The force nearly makes the boys stumble. "It was nice meeting you guys. I guess I'll see you sometime during the next lesson." Then the Rhyperior steps back and lets the others give their farewells.

"It was an honor to meet the Legendaries," Violet's voice is strangely soft as she gives the boys a friendly hug. "Take good care of yourselves and stay fit for our training programs."

"We will," Raikou says as he hugs Violet back. Hugging the clone is like hugging a ghost (no pun intended). It feels weird but it's eerily soothing. Suddenly the tiger smirks. "And for the record, it was worth it seeing Darkrai getting his ass kicked by a girl."

"I know," Violet smirks as she glances at Darkrai and Crystal. "It's going to be interesting with that pushover around…" Suddenly her gaze softens in a tender way that her friends have never seen.

Suddenly Darkrai glances back at the heroes and stares directly at Violet. Crystal looks over her shoulder before she forces Darkrai to look back at her.

Ribo coughs uncomfortably. "Yeah, um… Just be sure to practice your moves when no one else is watching." Suddenly the psychic smiles. "Who knows? You might find a way to activate your powers without our help."

"We will wait for your return patiently," Gallade says as he bows to the heroes with a fist over his chest. Laki smiles almost childishly as she hugs the boys tightly. "You're going to do great! I just know it! If Crystal believes in you, then so do I!" She beams at the boys and they couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Thanks, Laki. Take good care of those kids of yours. They really are sweet." Raikou requests and Laki smiles before she nods. Then the Pokémon begin to crowd around each other as Rocky presses a few buttons on his watch.

"Send our regards to 'Rai, guys!" Violet calls out before the Pokémon disappear in a flash of light. Raikou and Ash stare at the spot before they turn to Crystal and Darkrai. The phantom and lizard are walking back to the heroes with indifferent expressions on their faces. "You guys ready to go home?"

The boys nod.

"Okay. I already put up a mental link with you boys so you can call me at any time. But please only call me if the situation becomes serious, understand?"

The boys nod in acknowledgement.

"I'm sure that my friends told you to train when you're alone." Crystal states. "Go ahead and follow to that order, but don't overtrain yourselves." Crystal suddenly smiles. "I'm proud of you for your performance today. Our next lesson is to find your affinities." She smirks slyly at a suddenly sheepish Darkrai. "And we'll be learning on how to control them." Then she looks at Ash. "And we'll teach you how to activate your aura."

Crystal's expression is warm. "I'm sorry that the training took longer than expected, but at least the hard part is done. Good luck with your reunions and cherish the time you spend with your loved ones. Maybe we'll meet again tomorrow afternoon? Or maybe the same time the next day?"

Raikou looks thoughtful. "Maybe the day after tomorrow. After we reunite with our friends, it's going to be hard to sneak out alone. Especially after we tell them that Terotrey's back."

"Understandable." Crystal nods in approval before she gestures the boys to come closer.

"I'm going to send you three into the Hall of Origins, but I need Raikou and Darkrai to focus on the details of the place since I don't know where it is. I will be reading your minds so I can determine the appropriate coordinates of the area and use my watch to send you there. Ash, do not think of anything; cleanse your mind and relax. The Legendaries will take you home after they sort things out."

Crystal smiles as she begins to press the buttons on her watch. "Good luck, boys. May fate let us see each other again soon."

"And good luck to you too, Crystal." The boys smile at Crystal and give her thankful nods. Crystal smiles back and watches the Legendaries as they close their eyes to focus. Crystal uses her telepathy and waits until she has a clear vision of the Hall of Legends before she puts her coordinates in. Soon a portal opens beside the heroes. The boys hold hands and look at Crystal over their shoulders before they jump into the portal together. As they shut their eyes from the dizzy ride and let the portal take them to their destination, they can hear Crystal's voice in their minds.

_'Be safe, boys. Stay strong; we've got a long journey ahead of us.'_

**Support, please!**


	10. Chapter 10: A Hero's Return

**Another chap down! ****I also have a few notes.**

**I have already done this for my other story _PMD4: Explorers of Space_ and I'm doing this for _New Divide _as well. I _am_ permitting you guys to make stories or pics about my OCs; you can do short comics, misadventures, etc. I also will be accepting people's OCs into this story.**

**But there _are_ restrictions; One, if you're making stories or pics about my OCs, then give credit to me for them and send me the links of the story or pic. They are my OCs and I'm giving you permission to use them. Two, don't alter their personalties and keep their background stories intact so they stay as they are now. If you don't understand their full background, then read their biographies in my DeviantArt account. Three, if you want your OCs in this story, then tell me a bit about them through a PM; I need to know what Pokemon they are, what their names are, and how they behave. However, those OCs will make brief cameo appearances since I already have the story planned out. Four, PM me about making a story, pic, or inserting your OC into this story. I want to hear your plotlines and we'll talk about what I can do.**

**With that thought in mind, enjoy the chapter!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 10: A Hero's Return**

Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash don't open their eyes until their feet touch a glassy surface. They slowly open their eyes and find themselves in a magnificent hall with gold murals and lit torches. They sigh in relief and let go of each other's hands as they look around. Ash views the architecture curiously while Darkrai and Raikou smile in happiness.

"We're back…" Darkrai murmurs as he places his hand against a pillar fondly. Raikou grins widely and inhales sharply as he lets out a sigh of relief. Then he looks at his comrades. "Should we go see Arceus?"

Darkrai nods as the Legendaries lead Ash towards two magnificent gold doors. "Yeah. I think that we kept everyone worried for long enough."

Raikou is about to open the doors when his ears twitch. Then he places his head against the door. Darkrai frowns. "What is it?"

Raikou furrows his eyes in bewilderment. "I hear yelling…"

Darkrai and Ash frown before they place their ears against the door and listen carefully. Sure enough, there is a loud commotion going on behind the doors but the sounds are too muffled to be understood. Raikou takes the chance and carefully cracks the door open. The boys grimace when they hear loud voices booming from the room.

"What do you mean Latias is gone?"

"Can't we do something about it?"

"You Legendaries are supposed to protect life and you're telling us that another one is missing?"

"This just isn't right, I tell you!"

The boys' eyes widen in bewilderment before they continue to listen. "Everyone, please just calm down. Let's talk this out. " Arceus' powerful voice says calmly.

To Raikou's surprise, he hears Heatran shouting at the God in an angry voice. "Talk this out? Not only did we lose Raikou and Darkrai, but we lost Latias as well. And you just want to talk it out?"

Suddenly Ash blinks in bewilderment. "Wait… How can I understand what Pokémon are saying now?"

"Shh…" Darkrai shushes the human and continues to listen to the argument.

"He is right, Arceus dude." A surfer dude voice says out of nowhere. Raikou nearly squeaks in surprise when he realizes that it's Jeff that's speaking. Who else is in the room? Curious, he peeks through the crack and is surprised to see all the Legendaries and his tribe allies inside the council room. Darkrai and Ash peek as well and the human is surprised to see his Pokémon standing at the front of the council. However, all the Pokémon look incredibly upset or annoyed about their argument while Arceus looks tired. Cresselia, Suicune, and Pikachu are crying and the heroes' hearts sink at the sight.

The Roselia continues. "Not to be mean or anything, but it does sound a bit off that the Legendaries are disappearing without a trace. Not cool at all, dude." He shakes his head. Several Pokémon nod in agreement while the three heroes watch in bewilderment.

The God stares down at the flowery being before he sighs. "Little one, I agree with you on what you say. It is unnatural for the Legendaries to just disappear; as the leader, I should be aware of what happens to them."

"Don't you?" A voice demands. Arceus sighs and shakes his head in weariness and irritation. "No. If Terotrey is the capturer, then he probably has done something to block my power to foresight anyone's future."

As the Pokémon chatter amongst themselves, the boys' eyes widen in alarm. So the Legendaries do know that Terotrey has returned! How did they figure it out so early…?

"But what are we going to do about Latias?" Rayquaza demands as he glares poisonously at the God. "We cannot just let her go. We need her help to protect innocent Pokémon."

Several Pokémon are honestly surprised that Rayquaza seems to care about Latias' fate, but they say nothing as they wait for the God to respond. Arceus sighs again and breathes deeply. "Rayquaza, I understand your concern, but there is nothing that we can do at this point. All that we _can_ do is hope that Latias returns home safely."

"In other words, you are telling us to forget about Latias like we should forget about Raikou and Darkrai." Heatran snaps. Arceus snaps his head down to glare disapprovingly at the exiled toad.

Darkrai and Raikou freeze as they feel their hearts stop. Did they hear right?

Suddenly Arceus' voice turns cold as he glares at Heatran. "No, I do not mean that and I never did. Darkrai and Raikou are two of the best Legendaries in the court. We all know that."

"But that's not what I'm hearing right now," Heatran argues. "You've banished the other Legendaries and we have never heard from them in centuries. What are the chances that we won't hear from Darkrai, Raikou, and Adam again?"

"Ash." Sceptile corrects the toad irritably but Heatran ignores him.

"My point is that you have chosen to give up on the boys after all that they've done for us. They're no better off than Blackfire-"

Suddenly Arceus stomps his hoof and creates a gust of wind to blow through the room. Everyone is silent and still as they stare at the God with wide uneasy eyes. Heatran looks stunned while Arceus holds a dark glint in his gold eyes.

"That is enough, Heatran," Arceus growls dangerously. "You've gone too far by bringing up Blackfire in this discussion. I have regretted my decision but don't you dare make me feel worse about it than I already do."

Heatran suddenly pulls himself together and narrows his eyes at the God. "You made that choice, Arceus! You've chosen the law over your mate!"

Arceus says nothing but his eyes flash dangerously. The boys decide that they need to make themselves known before Heatran and Arceus start a fight. They carefully push open the doors and make their way into the room. They ignore the shocked looks from the other silent Pokémon as they slowly walk down the stairs towards the pedestal.

"You've chosen to abide the laws instead of defending your mate!" Heatran continues. "You chose to banish her and to not speak to her again for centuries!"

"You know the penalty as much as I do, Heatran!" Arceus snaps. The Pokémon could sense that he is about to use Judgment and cautiously step back in alarm. "The punishment was death but I loved Blackfire too much to carry it out! So I did what I thought is best and banished Blackfire from the council! There isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret what I've done, but it is better to know that Blackfire is alive and missing instead of being dead here!"

"But as the God of all Pokémon, you could easily pardon the law for your benefit!"

"I cannot pardon anything just as much as I can't pardon the other Legendaries here!"

"Now you are looking for excuses!"

"I am not!"

Soon the boys reach down to the pedestal and look uneasily between the bickering Pokémon. They still ignore the other shocked Pokémon as they wait for their God to take notice of them. But when the God continues to argue with the toad, Darkrai sighs as he pokes Arceus' hoof. "Um, Arceus-"

"Not now, Darkrai." Arceus glances at Darkrai and shrugs him off before he glares back at Heatran. "I cannot pardon crimes because it goes against the balance of life and… Uh…"

Arceus blinks when realization hits him. Then he and Heatran slowly turn to look at the boys and stare in bewilderment. "Raikou? Darkrai? Ash?" They ask simultaneously.

The boys look sheepish as they nod. "Hi, Arceus." Raikou greets lamely.

There is absolute silence as everyone stares at the boys. It's almost like everyone is trying to determine if they are illusions or not. Several psychics even used their powers to sense the boys' auras and are stunned speechless when they realize that the boys are alive and standing before them.

Suddenly several shrieks erupt and the boys find themselves tackled down to the ground. Several strong limbs refuse to let go of them as the boys sit up in bewilderment.

What…?

"RAIKOU! OH MY ARCEUS, IT'S YOU! IT'S REALLY YOU! WE ALL THOUGHT THAT YOU'D- OH NO WAY! NO WAY IN HELL! YOU'RE ALIVE!"

"… Jeff?" Raikou mutters as he sits up. He sees Suicune, Entei, Jeff, and Skyler hugging the daylights out of him as they cry over his body. Darkrai was pinned down by Cresselia as the metallic swan hugs him tightly and cries her eyes out. Ash is surrounded by his Pokémon as they try to take turns nuzzling him.

"Yes, it's me, you idiot!" Jeff bawls as he tightens his hold around Raikou's neck. The tiger almost chokes from the tightened hug. "Dammit, how could you? We thought that you were dead! And I almost died at the thought that my main dude was dead and-"

"Jeff." Raikou interrupts the flower hoarsely. Suddenly Jeff realizes how tightly he is hugging Raikou ad lets go with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, dude."

"Raikou…" Suicune weeps as she buries her snout against his furry neck. Raikou looks at his girlfriend and smiles as he nuzzles her back lovingly. Then he notices how pale and droopy Suicune's eyes are and wonders how long she had been crying. Pikachu and Cresselia both look just as upset and tired as the water dog does. The phantom wraps his arms and holds Cresselia closely as he whispers softly to his girlfriend. Ash holds Pikachu tightly as the mouse cries against his vest.

"Damn it, Raikou!" Suicune cries as she looks up at Raikou angrily. Suddenly she slaps him across the face. Raikou quickly recovers and holds his cheek as he stares disbelievingly at Suicune.

"What was that for?" He whines. Suicune glares at him. "That was for worrying me sick! I thought that you were dead, Raikou! Explain how you managed to escape from Terotrey!"

Several of the Pokémon make approving sounds while the Legendaries hold expectant looks and cross their arms.

Ash sighs as he stands up. He walks over to the annoyed and teary Suicune and places a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be mad at Raikou and Darkrai; they couldn't help it if they were captured."

Suicune blinks before she stares at the human. "You can understand what we are saying? How?"

Ash shrugs. "I could understand what Pokémon have been saying after I woke up and met Darkrai and Raikou. That was right after Terotrey captured us."

Mewtwo suddenly floats up. "We are aware that Terotrey has taken you because he left a note with his initials. But why does he want you three? What happened? How did you escape?"

Ash, Raikou, and Darkrai glance at each other. They know that these questions would be brought up and they already have answers for them. However, they only hope that they could pull off their story effectively and convince the Pokémon.

Then the trio begin to share their tale. They explain how Terotrey disguised his voice as Arceus' and orders Darkrai, Raikou, and their counterparts to inspect an island that was actually a trap. Ash explains that Terotrey has captured him while he was asleep. Raikou and Darkrai believe that Terotrey is after them for revenge but they state that they have no clue as to why Terotrey has captured Ash. They choose to keep quiet about the fact that Terotrey is also after them for a prophesy; it would only bring up more questions and suspicion.

Then the boys explain about how Terotrey takes them away and how Raikou bites the dragon and frees them. They explain about how Ash wakes up and finds out that he is able to understand Pokémon language. Then they explain about how the robots and Terotrey attack them. They explain about how they manage to trick Terotrey into creating another portal while the dragon is distracted by a lake of magma. The boys describe how they transwarp back into the real world and get lost in the Shinnoh forests. They explain that they have rested and hiked for several hours until they find an open meadow and find out that they are close to Mount Coronet. They finalize the story by stating that the Legendaries have taken Ash and quickly return to the Hall of Legends so they could warn the Legendaries and their allies about their predicament.

When the boys finish, the Pokémon are thoughtful as they murmur amongst themselves. Arceus stares hard at the boys and they gulp in anxiety. It's almost impossible to lie to the God but they hope that their cover story would be sufficient enough to fool everyone. The boys' hearts pound as they wait for someone to say something.

"I see…" Arceus nods his head.

Suddenly Mewtwo floats up and he looks suspicious as he narrows his eyes at the boys. "But why would Terotrey summon a portal when he could just kill you at the spot? How did you trick him into summoning one?"

The heroes could feel their confidence slimming until Deoxys steps up. "Enough!" She glares disapprovingly at Mewtwo. "The boys were almost killed and you criticize them about how they managed to survive? I trust Raikou and Darkrai and you should too!"

Mewtwo glares at Deoxys before he sighs and shakes his head. The heroes are somewhat relieved when they realize that none of the psychics has read their minds and are grateful that they have their privacy. Suddenly Deoxys looks at the boys. "So what is Terotrey like this time?"

Raikou is thoughtful as he remembers about the dragon. "Well, he can change into either his human form or dragon form. And when we fought him, most of our moves go through him like a ghost. Terotrey explained that he puts up a spell that shields him from all moves. However, the shield is down whenever he is too preoccupied to think about putting up a shield."

"How did he come back to life?" Rayquaza demands.

"We don't know…" Darkrai mutters as he crosses his arms. "Maybe someone brought him back to life. Whoever did it must be as powerful as a Legendary." Suddenly Blackfire crosses the phantom's mind and he shudders. But surely the exile doesn't have the power to bring someone back to life?

Darkrai's statement causes uproar. Several Pokémon shout in outrage while the Legendaries hold looks of disbelief. "Are you saying that one of us is the cause of his return?" Zapdos barks.

Darkrai immediately senses the error in his statement and tries to fix it. "I never said that! I'm just saying that there has to be more behind Terotrey's return! What if he is something else? What if he isn't a human?"

The Pokémon continue to argue about Darkrai's accusation until Ash loses it. "ENOUGH!"

Everyone falls silent as they stare at the human in surprise. Ash looks aggravated as he glares at the Pokémon around him. "You're arguing about something that cannot be fixed when you should be talking about what we need to do! You're Legendaries for crying out loud! Are you going to let one situation that happened in the past get the best of you? I may not know much about Terotrey, but I know that we need to find a way to stop him before he hurts more Pokémon! He already has one Legendary in his grasp and he is probably planning to capture more. So instead of arguing about something that is useless at this point, why don't you figure out how to fix this mess since it is your duty to protect life?"

The Pokémon are speechless while Ash storms out of the room. The Pokémon grimace when he slams the doors behind him and the vibrations echo in the silent room.

Raikou and Darkrai look gobsmacked by Ash's audacity. Suddenly a newfound respect for the boy grows in the duo; he sure has the guts. Then the duo glance at a silent Arceus. When the God nods in understanding, the dismissed Legendaries walk up the stairs and follow Ash. Their allies glance at each other before they follow the duo out of the room.

-ooo-

Darkrai and Raikou walk through the hallway as they look around for the human. Their insides were churning from lying to their friends but they relax as soon as they are out of the room. They feel guilty about lying to their friends but they have a promise to keep.

Now they have to find the human and somehow calm him down. Suddenly they hear grumbles and peek over a corner. They see Ash sitting against a pillar as he holds his legs close to his chest. The human glares out at space as he mutters under his breath. The Legendaries hold concerned looks as they kneel beside him.

"Ash?" Raikou murmurs softly. Ash flinches before he glances at the tiger beside him. His glare softens before he resumes looking out at space.

Darkrai sighs in aggravation. The kid is being stubborn and it's getting annoying fast. "Kid, we need to talk."

"About what?" Ash asks smartly. Darkrai snorts and is about to say something when Cresselia calls out to them. "Boys? Is everything all right?"

The boys blink and turn to see their allies standing over the corner. They look worried and confused.

"Is everything all right?" Cresselia asks as she floats beside Darkrai and looks down at the boy in concern.

"He's fine. He's been PMSing after we escaped. Seeing us fighting Terotrey has gotten him riled up." Darkrai muses coolly. Raikou and Ash glare disbelievingly at Darkrai and the phantom glares back at them.

Cresselia gives Darkrai a dirty glare before she smiles softly at Ash. "So, you're all right then?" Darkrai pouts when Cresselia ignores him.

Ash forces himself to nod and smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired. I'm sorry for yelling at you guys…"

"It's fine, kiddo." Deoxys waves a dismissive hand. "We all have problems and we need to let out our emotions every now and then."

Ash smiles as he stands up and faces the others. Jeff holds up a rosy hand as he gazes curiously at Ash. "So, you can understand everything that we say?"

Ash stares at the rose and notices that he has a lazy smile on his face. He shrugs and nods. The flower grins like an idiot. "Sweet, man…"

Deoxys then notices the weary look on the heroes' faces. "Well, I'm sure that you boys must be very tired after your experience. Why don't we go our separate ways and get some rest? We'll meet again at here tomorrow afternoon."

The boys are tired from Crystal's training but don't say anything as they nod in agreement. Deoxys looks at Darkrai, Cresselia, Ash, and the other Pokémon. "Darkrai and Cresselia can go home and Ash's Pokémon will take Ash back to Pallet Town." Suddenly Deoxys looks hopeful as she glances at Raikou. "Raikou, the others and I have been worried about you since you left. Would it be all right if…?"

Raikou smiles in understanding and nods. After all, his allies were like a family to him; he wants to spend as much time with them as possible. "Of course. You're welcome to stay with me and my counterparts for the night."

His friends smile and the three groups go their separate ways. Darkrai and Cresselia fly off into the night while Ash's Pokémon carefully carry their master down the path. Raikou decides to rest in the nearby forests and the Pokémon walk out of the Hall of Legends. Jeff and Skyler make several suggestions of what they could do around the campfire.

"We'll go fishing and tell ghost stories. We can sit around the campfire and sing some of Taylor Swift's old songs…"

The Pokémon smile as they listen to the duo and Raikou shakes his head. Then he gives Suicune a loving nuzzle. _'It's good to be back.'_

Suddenly Jeff begins to sing.

_I am really special cause there's only one of me,_

_Look at my smile _

_I'm so damn happy that people are jealous of me_

_When I'm sad and lonely I like to sing a song,_

_It cheers me up and shows me that I won't be sad for long_

_Oh, oh, oh!_

_I'm so happy I can barely breathe,_

_Puppy dogs and sugar frogs and kitten's baby teeth._

Raikou frowns while the Pokémon groan and smack their foreheads in exasperation.

-ooo-

Crystal sighs as she splashes the water with her feet. She sits over a cliff on the beach and kicks her feet casually against the seawater. She closes her eyes as the evening breeze gently blows through her. Then she opens her eyes and looks up at the twilight sky. She could make out a few stars behind the orange and lavender colors.

The she looks down at her reflection. She sees the Jewel of Life glowing and looks down at her chest. The cold glassy surface gleams while various colors continue to flow around inside it. When she touches the orb, the colors seem to flow towards her touch.

It's still crazy to think that she has her father's life through the orb. She understands that Blackfire has given it to her through a disguise because it wasn't safe with her during her imprisonment. But does Blackfire really trust Crystal enough to keep the God's life safe? And would the orb infuse into Crystal's soul and become a part of her as well?

Suddenly Crystal hears a splash and looks up. She narrows her eyes as she sees two figures underwater. Then they start to come towards her. When the duo pop out of the water, Crystal relaxes when she realizes that it is her two old acquaintances.

"Crystalline! Darling!" The Lapras with red eyes grins at Crystal as the lizard hugs her neck. Crystal gives her blue-eyed sister the same hug. "How have you been, dear?"

"Just wonderful. Thanks for asking," Crystal grins. "How have you two been? Still collecting unique shells, I see." Crystal notices Laureen's red earrings and necklace and Laura's blue earrings and necklace.

"Still in the underwater jewelry business." Laura smiles before she notices the orb on Crystal's orb. "It seems that you have a knack for treasure yourself."

Crystal glances down at the orb and shrugs innocently. "Yeah, but this one got implanted onto me. It has a mind of its own."

The girls only nod before Laureen looks excited. "Crystal! You won't believe what happened to us! We actually helped the Legendaries Raikou, Suicune, and Entei on their mission a few days ago! They needed a ride to get to a new island!" Suddenly she frowns. "But that place was a wasteland; the only thing that occupied it was a dark cloud."

"Darkrai and Raikou were missing when Entei and Suicune returned to ride back to the mainland. We were concerned until we heard that those boys returned to the Legendaries a few minutes ago." Laura adds.

Crystal frowns. _'Damn that Terotrey! He tricked the Legendaries into another one of his traps! Arceus, he's getting smarter with his plans…'_ She thinks furiously to herself. Then she looks up at the girls and forces herself to smile. "Well, that's good news then! Good for you!" Then the Grovyle looks curious. "Was there something that you needed?"

The twins blink before they smile and shake their heads. "No, we just wanted to see our old friend. We've got gifts for you and the others."

Crystal blinks as she watches the girls reach over their backs to grab their damp handbags. They pull off the seaweeds before they dig inside and pull out several pieces of unique objects. Then they hold the objects out to Crystal.

They show Crystal a gorgeous pink pearl necklace. "This is for Laki."

They show Crystal an opal pendant that has an amethyst implanted in the center. "This is for Violet."

They show Crystal a sea-green stone. "This is for Ribo."

They show Crystal a necklace that has rubies and onyx stones. "This is for Scalene."

They show Crystal a Hard Stone. "This is for Rocky."

They show Crystal a Dawn Stone. "This is for Gallade."

The girls smile at Crystal as they give Crystal a unique purple shell that looks like an ocarina. "And for you, dear."

Crystal's heart churns at the girls' generosity. She shakes her head. "Girls, I can't accept these. I appreciate it, but-"

"But nothing." Laura says firmly as she shoves the items into Crystal's arms. "We worked hard to make most of the items and it's only right that we repay you for helping us with our business."

Crystal opens her mouth but closes it instead. She nods slowly and smiles thankfully at the girls.

"Good." Laureen pets Crystal's shoulder fondly. "Now, Laura and I need to get going. We still have a business to run and time is short."

Crystal nods in understanding and waves as the Lapras turn to leave. The girls wave at her over their shoulders. "Ta-ta, Crystalline. Until we meet again!"

"Bye! And thanks again!" Crystal calls as she watches the Lapras disappear underwater. Then she turns to leave and barely makes it halfway through the beach when she confronts her friends.

"Cryssy!" Gallade rushes down to the girl and pants breathlessly. "There you are! We have been looking for- What's all this stuff!" He notices the jewelry in Crystal's arms.

"Gifts from Laureen and Laura." Crystal smiles.

"The Lapras Twins?" Laki whines before she pouts. "Aww… I wanted to see them again…"

The Pokémon are silent as Crystal hands them out their gifts. As they marvel over their jewelry, Crystal holds her own gift. She knows that the Lapras must have found it due to how pale the lavender color is. The lizard knows that it is an ancient artifact but couldn't help but wonder exactly what it is.

"What did they give you, Crys?" Rocky asks as he snatches the ocarina away from the lizard. He frowns at the object. Crystal blinks in surprise before she glares at the Rhyperior and reaches out for the shell. The Rhyperior holds her back by the face. "Give that back, Rocky!" She demands.

Suddenly Scalene smacks Rocky's head and the Rhyperior yelps as he drops the shell. Ribo reacts quickly and uses his psychic powers to make the object levitate before it crashes against the sand. He then holds the object while Scalene scolds Rocky.

"You know better than to snatch things out of people's hands!" Scalene snaps. Rocky rubs his head and looks at his aunt pleadingly. "But Auntie-"

"Don't 'Auntie' me, young man! Now you're coming back to the base with me!" Then she grabs the Rhyperior's horn and drags him out of the beach. Rocky yells out and tries to get out of the Charizard's strong grip. When the duo disappear, Violet sniggers and shakes her head.

Ribo then hands the shell back to Crystal. Crystal takes it and smiles up at her psychic companion. "Thanks." She looks at Rocky's direction mischievously. "Someone's going to have an extra hour out on patrol tonight…"

Ribo chuckles.

"What _did_ the girls give you, anyway?" Laki asks curiously. Crystal shrugs as she holds the shell up. "I dunno, but it looks like an ocarina."

"An ocarina, huh? Those are really rare. Maybe you can play it out, sometime." Gallade suggests.

"Maybe…" Suddenly Crystal notices a crack below the instrument and frowns. "But it's too old and worn out to be used at this point."

Violet only shrugs and crosses her arms. Then she smirks. "Well, I'm going back. I don't wanna miss out on what Scalene has planned for Rocky."

Ribo suddenly smirks as he holds out his arm to the phantom. "I'm in. Let's go." Violet smiles and accepts his arm as they walk away.

Then Laki looks at Gallade and Crystal. "Yeah, I'm gonna head back too. I need to check on my kids."

Crystal nods in understanding and Laki turns to leave. As soon she is out of hearing range, Gallade lets out a sigh of longing and disappointment.

Crystal rolls her eyes at the warrior beside her. "If you like Laki that much, then at least stop staring at her like a lovesick puppy and tell her already!"

Gallade blinks and looks at Crystal in surprise. The lizard crosses her arms and raises her brow at him. Suddenly Gallade sighs and shakes his head. "It's not that easy, Crystal. Laki has been through too much and I would hate to burden her. Besides, I doubt that she feels the same way for me."

Crystal's expression softens as compassion washes through her. After Gallade confessed that he has been crushing on Laki about a year ago, he never got the guts to ask her out. He always believed that Laki's past would get in their way and he doesn't want to hurt her by bringing up painful memories. And Gallade himself is still getting over the painful loss of his family; he doesn't want to end up being hurt again. The only other people that know about Gallade's crush are Violet and Ribo; the duo are surprisingly supportive about it since they think that Gallade and Laki are good for each other.

Crystal sighs. "Gallade, you're gonna have to tell her sometime before we go to war. It might be you and Laki's last chance to be happy and start anew. I think that waiting for over a year is long enough. Laki will understand; you know that she's a good person."

Gallade is silent before he slowly nods. "You're right. I'll make my decision by three days."

Crystal nods and pats his shoulder. "And remember; you still have your other friends to support you with everything." She smiles.

Gallade returns the smile. "Thanks, Crystal." Then he yawns. "I'm probably going to retire for the night. Good night and stay safe, Crystalline."

"You too." Crystal nods to Gallade and watches the warrior leave. After he is gone, Crystal looks up at the sky and sees the various stars twinkling. The wind blows through her gently as she glances down at her ocarina. Then she smiles and exhales through her nose as she begins to walk home. She fails to notice the wind blowing through her instrument. The ocarina makes a soft musical sound before a blue aura flows out of its finger holes. Then the aura flows down to her Jewel of Life and mingles with the colors inside the orb until it. Soon it fades into nothing.

Crystal suddenly feels more relaxed and breathes deeply as soon as she returns home.

**Support, please!**


	11. Chapter 11: Discovery Part One

**Another update; I changed up some of the confrotations a bit. And as a side note, updating might be a little slower. I'm still adjusting to my boyfriend leaving for college; we won't be able to see each other until this Christmas at the earliest. DX It'll take time for me to get used to it, but I'll still be able to update.**

**Support, please!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 11: Discovery Part One**

"It's good to be home…" Ash sighs as he lies on his couch. The poor trainer had to deal with more crying as soon as he came home and various questions were asked. He and his Pokémon have agreed to keep quiet about the truth since it would only make his friends panic. They explain that Ash was captured by a crazed serial killer that disguised himself. Fortunately, the capturer has been careless and left Ash's room unlocked after he left and Ash managed to sneak out but got lost in a forest. It is then his Pokémon find him and bring him home. The story was easily believed by the others and Officer Jenny promises to keep a sharp watch around his house until his capturer is found.

After Ash has a meal and a bath, he relaxes on the couch. Everyone but Dawn, Brock, and Mrs. Ketchum left to resume their daily routines. Ash's mother has left to go shopping so the humans are alone at the Ketchum residence with their Pokémon. Dawn stares at Ash's sleeping form while Brock just sits back on his armchair and flips through the channels to find something to watch. The Pokémon are talking to themselves quietly so they won't disturb Ash from his sleep.

Suddenly the human squirms in discomfort. Pikachu's ears twitch and he frowns when he sees his master in pain.

"Ash?" He asks as he nudges his master. Suddenly he panics when he sees sweat forming on his forehead and jumps onto his master's stomach. "Ash, wake up!"

The others notice the commotion and rush over to see Ash struggling in his sleep. Pikachu, Brock, and Dawn try to wake the human up but he is in too much stress to listen.

-ooo-

_Ash was having a nice dream until a voice scares the daylights out of him. "Ash! Ash!"_

_Ash suddenly finds himself surrounded by black and purple patterns. He looks around and is surprised to see Crystal. The Grovyle looks distressed as she rushes up to him._

"_Crystal? Is that you?"_ _Ash asks. Then he looks confused. 'What are you doing in my dream?"_

_Crystal shakes her head irritably. "Never mind that. I need you to come back to the Garden of Eden immediately."_

_Ash looks bewildered and incredulous. "Right now? Are you serious? I just got home an hour ago and you're telling me to go back?"_

"_Yes, it's urgent!" Crystal insists._

_Ash narrows his eyes at the girl before he sighs. "Is this some sort of a prank? Cause if it is, then it isn't funny!"_

_Crystal narrows her eyes irritably at the ignorant human. "Am I the kind of girl that would prank on people?"_

_Ash sighs. "Fine, but this better be good. How will I get there?"_

"_I'll summon a portal somewhere at your kitchen in exactly three minutes. Be ready by then."_

"_But what do I say to the others? They'll follow me and they probably won't let me go!" Ash exclaims uneasily._

_Crystal is silent as she thinks. Then she sighs. "Then bring them along. Do whatever it takes to get back to the island. Tell them the truth about your capture if you must, but you must be there by the next few minutes! Understand?"_

_Ash nods and feels somewhat disappointed about his time with his friends being cut short. Suddenly Crystal looks up at him and smiles weakly. "Brace yourself; you're about to get a rude awakening…"_

_Before Ash could ask what she means, he feels extreme pain shooting through his body as everything disappears._

-ooo-

Ash screams as electricity shoots through his body. He jolts up and looks around with wide eyes. He could see his friends staring down at him with concerned eyes. Pikachu looks a little tired from using Thundershock on his master but he is relieved to have awakened him from his nightmare.

"Ash, what happened? Did you have a nightmare?" Dawn asks as she places a hand on her shoulder. Ash takes a deep breath and shakes his head.

"I'll be right back; I need to do something." He says. Suddenly he jumps off the couch and rushes towards the kitchen. The others are silent as they hear Ash taking something out of the cabinets. They glance at each other before they walk towards the kitchen. They see the human writing a note on the counter. Brock and Dawn look over Ash's shoulders and read the note while he puts in his signature.

_To Whom It May Concern_

_Don't panic while I'm gone. I have a mission that I need to finish but I promise that I will explain everything as soon as I return. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but know that I love you guys. This situation is serious and if anything happens to me, then let my Pokémon go free. They've earned it._

_I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise._

_Ash Ketchum_

"Ash, what is the meaning of this?" Dawn demands as she snatches the note from around Ash's body. The human turns to look at his friends in surprise. Dawn narrows his eyes as she holds up the note. "What do you mean that you're leaving?"

Ash says nothing as he looks at his friends' skeptical expressions. He sighs. "Guys, something serious is going on and I'm a part of it. I'm going to have to postpone my travels until this situation is sorted out."

The humans are silent as they stare at him. The Pokémon murmur amongst themselves in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Brock asks.

"In a few moments, a dimensional portal will open somewhere in this kitchen. I need to go inside it so I can talk with my real rescuers."

"Real rescuers?" Brock asks in confusion. Then he glances at Ash's Pokémon and notice that they look surprised. "But I thought that you said that you escaped…"

"Barely, but I had help from three Pokémon. Two Legendaries and a Grovyle."

The humans look shocked while the Pokémon raise their brows. "Ash, you and the Legendaries didn't say anything about getting help from a Grovyle…" Pikachu mutters as he raises his brow at his master.

Ash sighs. "Guys, everything that the Legendaries and I have told you isn't true. We didn't escape from our capturer; we were rescued. And we kept quiet about it because Crystal has made us promise to keep her army as a secret."

"Who is Crystal?" Dawn demands. "The Grovyle? You can talk to her?"

"I can talk to all Pokémon. My capturer had done something to make me understand their language."

The others are silent until Dawn starts yelling. "Ash, this is crazy! You come home after being missing for days and you're telling us that you lied to us about being captured? Why?"

"I just said that-"

"We're your friends! Shouldn't we have the right to know about the truth? We've been worrying and crying endlessly and you have the nerve to-"

Suddenly Dawn is interrupted when the ground starts to shake. Suddenly a black and white dimensional portal appears above the table and the electricity shuts off. Ash steps towards the portal and glances back at his stunned friends.

"Crystal activated a portal so I can go talk to her. She just called out to me through my dream and explained that the situation is urgent." Ash explains. When the Pokémon don't say anything, he sighs. "I promise that I will explain about everything after she and I talk."

"Crystal is a telepath?" Sceptile demands. Ash smiles weakly. "Oh, she's much more than just a telepath…" He shakes his head. "You guys can come with me if you want, but I'm going to help Crystal with whatever she needs. It's the least I can do since she saved my life."

Without another word, Ash jumps into the portal and ignores his friends' cries of protests. But as soon as the human disappears, they glance at each other. They aren't sure if they should jump in after her or call Officer Jenny.

Suddenly Pikachu groans and throws his hands up in frustration. "Whether he's lying or not, he's my friend and I won't let him go again!" Soon the Pikachu jumps into the portal. The other Pokémon are silent before they follow Pikachu's lead. Dawn and Brock remain behind and they glance at each other uneasily.

"You think that it's true?" Dawn asks. The tall tanned human shrugs as he stares at the portal thoughtfully. "Regardless or not that if it's true, Ash is going to need help. I just hope that he knows what he's doing…"

Dawn says nothing as she places down the note onto the counter. When Brock offers her his hand, she hesitates before she takes it. "Ready?" Brock asks softly. Dawn gulps before she nods. Then the trainers jump into the portal and disappear in a flash. Soon the portal disappears and the electricity turns back on.

-ooo-

Darkrai sighs happily as he rests against the cave wall with his head behind his hands. He stares at the night sky as the stars twinkle behind the barely transparent clouds. His girlfriend is currently out getting dinner since she has insisted that Darkrai get some rest.

Speaking of Cresselia…

Darkrai sighs as his heart melts. He refuses to let anything happen to his lover now that Terotrey is back and he is glad to see that Cresselia is safe. But when Darkrai suddenly thinks about Violet, he feels guilty and shameful to know that he might be feeling something for another woman. Ribo was somewhat truthful earlier; it is natural for people to harbor feelings for more than one person. But why did Darkrai happen to be one of those people? And more importantly, who would he choose? His lifelong counterpart or his brother's sadistic clone?

"'Rai?"

Darkrai blinks and realizes that Cresselia has returned with a large leaf of berries in her mouth. She carefully floats inside the cave and places the food down between her and Darkrai. She then lowers down to rest beside Darkrai. "I got you some Oran Berries. Those were all I could find on your island…" She smiles sheepishly.

Darkrai shrugs as he grabs a berry. "It's fine. I don't mind." Then he plucks the berry into his mouth and swallows it whole. Cresselia smiles as she eats her own berry. When Darkrai notices a hint of juice lingering on her lips, he smiles and cradles her face as he wipes the juice off.

Suddenly he remembers something and he smiles. "I have a surprise for you. Wait here." He lets go of Cresselia's face and floats down deep into his cave. Cresselia is silent as she hears Darkrai rummaging through his private belongings. Suddenly a glass shatters and Darkrai swears. Cresselia giggles softly.

Then Darkrai floats back with a bag in his hands. He smiles when Cresselia blinks. Then Darkrai places the bag at the middle of the room and opens it. Inside are several broken pieces of different colored bottles. Then Darkrai floats back to his belongings and returns with several twigs and two flat stones.

"Darkrai, those are broken bottles… What are you doing?" Cresselia frowns at Darkrai as he places the twigs behind the bag of glass pieces. Darkrai smiles as he scrapes the rocks above the twigs. Soon the twigs catch on fire and light up the room. The sudden light causes the bottles to glow over Cresselia's body. The swan gasps as she turns to stare at the illuminating lights on the walls. The colors range in a rainbow pattern that the metallic swan is very familiar with.

"The Northern Lights!" She exclaims as she watches the wave patterns. Darkrai smiles as he floats beside his lover and takes in her look of awe and wonder. He wraps an arm around her neck.

"Darkrai, this is amazing." Cresselia murmurs as she watches the scene. "It's beautiful."

Darkrai says nothing as he notices Cresselia glowing in a fascinating manner. He doesn't remember seeing something as beautiful as she is at that moment. "Yeah… Beautiful…"

Cresselia glances at Darkrai and notices the loving look on his face. Her smile softens. Then the duo slowly lean against each other and close their eyes as they await a loving kiss…

"Hate to break this cozy scene, but we need to talk."

The ew voice shatters the tender moment that Darkrai had worked hard to achieve. While Cresselia blinks in confusion, the phantom snarls as he glares at the entrance. But when he sees the intruders, his eyes blink in confusion and surprise.

"Ribo? Violet?" Darkrai asks without thinking. Cresselia glances at him in confusion while Darkrai blinks several times to make sure that his vision is working right. Sure enough, Ribo and Violet are floating before the cave entrance with amused looks on their faces.

"Don't look so surprised, Ghost Boy," Violet snorts. "You knew that we would meet again."

"He knows that, Vi," Ribo retorts. "He just didn't expect to see us soon or for us to interrupt his time with his girlfriend."

Darkrai narrows his eyes in aggravation. He's about to snap that his love life isn't their business until Cresselia speaks. "Darkrai? You know these two?"

Darkrai glances at her before he nods. "Yeah, I know them." Then he looks at the duo skeptically. "But what are you two doing here?"

"Is it a crime to visit a friend?" Ribo asks. When Darkrai looks unconvinced, the psychic shrugs. "But to answer your question, Crystal sent us to find you."

"How the hell did you even know where to find me?"

Violet looks incredulous. "Really, Darkrai. It's not hard to know that the nightmare Legendary might be resting in his own home."

Darkrai only grunts in annoyance. Then he remembers Ribo's answer and looks somewhat concerned. "Crystal sent you to find me? What does she need?"

"We have an urgent situation in our hands. We'd tell you ourselves, but there might be other Pokémon around and we don't want to spread the news out…" Ribo suddenly looks uneasy. "Crystal needs your help to find out how to fix it. She is also grabbing Ash and Raikou for the case."

Darkrai looks incredulous and stunned. He's been home for barely an hour and now there's a serious situation going on? Darkrai decides that Crystal had better have a good reason to send for him. He sighs while Cresselia to the conversation and stares in pure confusion.

The swan floats up to the duo and stares at them carefully. "Who are you?" She asks. Ribo bows before her politely. "Hello, Legendary Cresselia. It is an honor to meet you. I am Ribo, a specimen that is born from out of this world." Then he gestures to the bored phantom beside him. "And this is Violet. She's a clone that Terotrey has made but she has joined our army to stop him."

"You know Terotrey?" Cresselia asks in disbelief before she stares suspiciously at Darkrai. "What is going on?"

Violet's expression softens as she places a hand on the swan's shoulder. Cresselia looks somewhat uncomfortable by her touch. "Honey, we promise that we will explain about everything at our base. Our boss needs to talk to Darkrai about his role in our army but we need to get there now."

"What role?" Cresselia pulls away from Violet and stares intently at Darkrai. "Darkrai, you told me and the others that you escaped from Terotrey. Is there something that your hiding from us?"

Darkrai suddenly looks uncomfortable. Then he sighs and slumps his shoulders in defeat. "OK, Cresselia. You deserve the truth. Raikou, Ash, and I did escape from Terotrey, but we had help." He points at Ribo and Violet. "Their leader saved us and kept us in her base overnight."

Cresselia suddenly looks outraged. "So you lied to us? Why?" She demands.

"Because Crystal wanted to keep quiet about her army. She didn't want to involve more people in her war against Terotrey and-"

"But it _is_ our war! That man almost killed us all last month, Darkrai! We all have been worrying about you for days and now you're telling me that you three have lied to us? What else are you lying about?"

Darkrai could feel his confidence slimming as Cresselia's trust in him begins to diminish. When Ribo sees his distressed look, he decides to intrude. He floats in between the duo and faces the swan with a stern look. He doesn't back down when she glares up at him.

"Miss Cresselia, I'm afraid that you misunderstand the situation. Darkrai is only doing what our boss has asked him to do. If you have any problems with that, then you are going to have to talk to Crystal about it when we arrive at our base. The boys have agreed to not involve their allies because they feared that they would lose their loved ones. Darkrai fears that he would lose _you_ in this war and he wants you out of harm's way. He and the boys are only doing what they think is best.

Cresselia's glare softens while Violet and Darkrai quietly applaud the psychic for saving the situation. Darkrai gives Ribo a grateful look while Cresselia sighs. Then Violet slowly floats up to Cresselia. "Come with us and I promise that we'll explain about everything after Crystal and Darkrai talk."

Cresselia is silent but she blinks as Violet presses some buttons on her watch. Suddenly a portal opens at the cave entrance and Cresselia yelps in alarm. She backs away until she stands beside Darkrai. Cresselia glances up at him and Darkrai smiles somewhat sadly down at her.

"Cress, I promise that everything will turn out OK. Can you at least trust me on that?" He murmurs. Cresselia hesitates before she slowly nods. Darkrai smiles again and kisses her forehead softly.

"Hey, Lover Boy!" Violet suddenly snaps. "We know that you care for Cresselia, but please don't let it distract you on our mission!"

Darkrai nods and watches Ribo and Violet jump into the portal. Then he sees Cresselia's uneasy look and squeezes her comfortingly. "I won't let go of you. Trust me."

Cresselia forces herself to smile up at Darkrai as they float closer to the portal. "I trust you, 'Rai."

Darkrai smiles in relief before he takes Cresselia's small paw and stops before the portal. The duo take a deep breath as they jump into the portal and disappear inside the tunnel. The portal slowly disappears behind them.

-ooo-

Raikou sighs as he and his friends rest around the campfire in the middle of the Shinnoh forests. He smiles as he watches his counterparts talking with each other while Jeff and Skyler sing random songs. Drendan and Heatran are currently scouting around the area for danger while Mewtwo and Deoxys slowly eat their berries.

Raikou narrows his eyes and stares at the ground as he thinks about Terotrey. The man has caused so much trouble and he is going to pay for it. Raikou feels terrible about what Crystal and her friends have gone through because of the scientist and he vows that he would help them in any way possible. Even if it costs Raikou his life, it's the least that he could do in honor of Blackfire and Saberspark's memory…

Then Raikou thinks about Crystal and her friends. Even though they each have their own quirks, they are very nice people. Crystal is lucky to have such close friends as her family. They almost remind Raikou of how close he is with his friends…

"Raikou? You okay?"

Raikou blinks and glances at Suicune's concerned eyes. He shrugs. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about some stuff."

"Such as?"

Raikou shrugs again. "Terotrey. I wonder about how he has returned." The tiger is honest about his statement at least.

The water dog nods in understanding. "I understand."

"When we heard that he returned, we all wondered about how he was brought back to life." Heatran suddenly says as he and Drendan return from their patrol. The tiger looks at the toad.

"What if Deoxys is right though, dudes?" Jeff raises his rosy hand up. "What if the Terotrey that we encountered was a dummy while the real Terotrey was planning on something else? What if the whole war from the last month is just a distraction that he used for us?"

The Pokémon blink at the Roselia's logic. "Jeff, that's probably the smartest thing that I've ever heard from you." Skyler comments.

Jeff huffs and crosses his arms as he smiles in pride. "I have my moments." Skyler rolls his eyes at his friend.

"He has a point." Deoxys says after she wipes her mouth. "What if Terotrey isn't even real? What if we've been fighting the wrong guy?"

"No," Raikou shakes his head. When the Pokémon look at him in surprise, he quickly explains himself. "Terotrey didn't say anything about making a distraction, but he said that he has improved his defense methods. So that means that we must have encountered the real person. But how he came back is the question."

"But who could bring him back? Darkrai might have a point as well." Entei narrows his own eyes in confusion. "The only people that have that kind of power are Legendaries, but even we can't do that. It goes against the nature of all life."

Blackfire crosses Raikou's mind but he shoves the thought aside. He doesn't like to think that the exile could have possibly brought the scientist back out of her duty to serve his family.

"Doesn't matter now," Mewtwo mutters as he crosses his arms. "Right now we need to focus on how we can defeat him."

The Pokémon nod in agreement. Raikou is about to say something when a voice calls out to him. When he recognizes the voice, his stomach churns in anxiety.

"Raikou? It's me. We need to talk."

"No, Crystal! Don't come closer!" Raikou jumps up to his feet and turns to face the newcomers. His allies jump up to their feet and prepare for combat as soon as they see a black and white Grovyle. Behind the girl are Laki, Gallade, Rocky, and Scalene. But the cybertronic duo are what catch the Pokémon off guard. Mewtwo and Deoxys sense a powerful aura radiating from the other three and immediately believe that they are dangerous. Rocky has a belt with several pistols for some reason.

"Whoever you are, back away!" Mewtwo snaps as he forms a Shadow Ball in his hands. "We are not in the mood to deal with any more drama today!"

"Guys, wait!" Raikou protests as he rushes over to Crystal's friends. However, he is held back by Jeff, Skyler, Entei, and Suicune. Heatran, Drendan, Mewtwo, and Deoxys face against the Pokémon with narrowed eyes. While Crystal's friends seem caught off guard, the lizard smiles as she crosses her arms casually. "We don't want to fight you people…" She says calmly.

"We don't believe you! Those robots belong to Terotrey and you're probably his other Pokémon!" Deoxys snaps. Soon she and the others power up their moves and shoot at the lizard and her allies.

"NO!" Raikou screams in horror as he watches the blasts aiming at the heroes. However, the team jump aside and avoid all the attacks effectively. Suddenly Rocky takes out his pistols and aims them at the Pokémon.

Crystal glances at him in disbelief. "Rocky, what…?"

"There's no point in trying to talk to these guys…" Rocky mutters as he narrows his eyes at the Pokémon. "We need to knock them out…"

"Hate to say it, but I agree…" Laki sighs as she uses her powers to create an aura pole. Crystal snaps his head to look at her in disbelief. "Not you too, Laki?"

Then to Crystal's outrage, Scalene summons her digital from her arm while Gallade takes out his swords. The four Pokémon walk towards the tense allies and ignore Crystal's protests. In response, Mewtwo and Deoxys summon another Shadow Ball while Drendan summons an aura pole and Heatran spreads his legs apart. The eight Pokémon glare at each other menacingly.

"Look, we don't want to fight you guys." Rocky says as he points his guns at the heroes. "But we need to take Raikou on a mission. It's important."

"Not a chance…" Drendan hisses. Laki sighs as she holds up her pole. "Look, there isn't even a choice on this matter. He needs to go."

"On whose authority? Terotrey's?" Deoxys demands. Rocky snorts. "Like hell."

"Raikou's not going anywhere." Heatran growls as he walks up to Rocky. The Rhyperior points his pistols at the toad's eyes. "Oh, yes he is…" He says threateningly.

"Over my dead body."

"That could easily be arranged."

"Not unless I kick your ass first!"

"I'll kill you!"

Crystal's fists are trembling from rage. Soon she loses control and her eyes glow brightly. On cue, the eight Pokémon start to levitate and have a gold aura radiating from them. Crystal's allies look surprised while Raikou's friends panic.

"I… Can't… Move…" Deoxys grunts as her arms remain immobilized beside her. Then the Pokémon look down and see Crystal glaring up at them as she crosses her arms. "While you guys just hang up there, I'm going to talk to Raikou. I'll deal with your immaturity later…" Then Crystal turns to face Raikou but instead faces his remaining friends.

"You stay away from him," Suicune growls threateningly.

Suddenly Raikou loses it and he jumps away from his guards. "Arceus damn it! That's enough from all of you!"

Everyone stares at the tiger in bewilderment as he continues. "You guys barely know each other for two minutes and you're already trying to kill each other!" Raikou faces his friends. "Guys, the lizard and her team are friends of mine. They mean no harm!" Then Raikou turns to Crystal. "And Crystal, please put our friends down for the love of Arceus…"

Crystal is silent as she stares at Raikou for a long time. Then she smirks. "Never thought that you'd be the mature one out of all of us for once…" Then Crystal faces the floating Pokémon and gently lowers them down to the ground. As soon as the Pokémon are up on their feet, they glare at each other before they put away their weapons and face Raikou and Crystal.

Raikou takes a deep breath and nods. "Thank you. Now is there any reason that you guys came?"

"Yes. There is a situation that we need to talk about back at the base. I'd tell you here but there might be other Pokémon listening…" Crystal says cautiously. Then she glances at the tiger's suspicious friends. "Your friends can come along if they wish. There are no more secrets between us now."

"What secrets?" Mewtwo demands. Crystal ignores him as she stares at Raikou's disbelieving look. "What is this about, Crystal?" Raikou asks.

"I said that I'd tell you as soon as we back," Crystal replies patiently. Then she turns to face her friends and says something quietly. Suicune walks up and nudges Raikou. "Raikou, what's going on?" She demands.

Raikou is silent as he stares at Crystal and her friends. Then he turns to his friends. "Do you guys trust me?"

The Pokémon don't say anything as they slowly nod. Raikou nods back as he walks towards Crystal. She gives him a knowing look and nods before she presses a few buttons on her watch. A few moments later, a portal appears before the campfire and her allies quickly jump into it. Crystal glances at Raikou one more time before she jumps in.

Raikou looks back at his cautious friends and nods before he jumps into the portal. Alarmed, his friends rush over to the portal and watch the Pokémon disappearing through the tunnel. The heroes glance at each other uneasily before the hold onto each other and jump inside. The portal slowly disappears and its departure extinguishes the campfire.

-ooo-

"Finally!" Violet exclaims as soon as she jumps out of the portal beside Ribo. The duo move aside as Darkrai and Cresselia land at their spots. The Legendaries look a little dazed but the phantom holds Cresselia as she holds her stomach in a nauseated manner.

Soon two more portals appear beside each other. Ash and his friends jump out from one portal and look somewhat shaken. Crystal and her friends jump out from the second portal and clap their hands before they walk forward. However, Raikou appears shortly afterwards and lands right on top of Crystal. The lizard lets out a muffled shout and pounds against the ground with her fists while the tiger's allies jump out of the portal from behind their friend. Crystal's shouts could barely be understood until Raikou snaps out of his stupor and hastily gets off her. Crystal groans as she sits up and twists her back until her bones crack. Then she sighs in relief as she stands up.

"Sorry, Crystal…" Raikou mutters guiltily. Crystal only smiles and pets his snout. Then she looks at the Pokémon and watches them staring around the valley with wide stunned eyes.

"It's good to see you guys again," Ribo says as he glances at Ash and Raikou. "We could really use your help."

"With what?" Raikou asks. Ash and Darkrai walk up to Crystal and give her expectant looks. "Crystal, what is going on? This had better be important…" Darkrai mutters darkly as he crosses his arms. Crystal's friends look uneasy while Crystal sighs tiredly. She rubs her eyes in an irritated manner before she speaks.

"Terotrey is planning to invade the Hall of Legends with his robots. He plans to destroy it and replace it with his own base."

Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash look horrified while their allies gasp in disbelief and shock. "When?" Raikou asks hesitantly.

Crystal sighs. "Two nights from now."

**Support please!**


	12. Chapter 12: Discovery Part Two

**Another update. Note: Team Flame belongs to BlackflameofPheonixClan.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 12: Discovery Part Two**

"Are you kidding? Two nights from now?" Raikou repeats in disbelief.

Crystal grimly nods.

"You're positive?" Ash asks.

Again, Crystal nods.

"This isn't a joke?" Darkrai insists.

For the third time, Crystal nods even though she looks aggravated.

"Absolutely-"

"Arceus-damn it!" Violet yells as she floats over to the boys. She narrows her eyes in irritation. "Yes, were are absolutely sure! Our best spies barely got back alive to tell us!"

Darkrai holds up his hands in defense. "OK, OK! You don't need to keep your panties up so tight…"

Darkrai suddenly finds himself down on the ground with a large bruise on his left eye. He groans and tries to sit up while Violet glares down at him in annoyance. Cresselia gasps and inspects her boyfriend before she glares at Violet.

"How dare you?" Cresselia cries angrily. "You could have killed him!"

Violet shrugs as she narrows her eyes at the swan. "That was nothing. If I used my dark affinity, then yeah, maybe. But my punch only left a bruise."

Cresselia growls before she headbutts the phantom. Violet yells out in anger before she clenches her fists and aims at the swan. Suddenly Crystal rushes up and wraps her arms around Violet's arms to lock her in a headlock. Violet protests and struggles but Crystal wouldn't let go.

"Violet, that is enough!" Crystal growls as Violet struggles even harder. "I didn't send everyone back here to start another war with the Legendaries! Either go calm down or I will give you an appropriate punishment!"

Violet snarls and the heroes back away when they see a dark aura illuminating from her body. But when Violet sees her leader's eyes, she calms down and huffs. "Fine…" Violet grumbles as she turns and floats away. Gallade and Ribo help Darkrai up while Laki offers him an icepack.

"Thank you." Crystal mutters. Then she looks at Cresselia and smiles apologetically. "I apologize. Violet is a bit of a hothead whenever she's stressed."

Cresselia tilts her head before she nods and smiles gratefully. "Thank you. Crystal, is it? You're the leader of these Pokémon?"

Crystal smiles and nods. Then she frowns as she looks at Cresselia's abdomen carefully. While she has been struggling to hold Violet, she noticed three auras illuminating from the swan's stomach section. As a psychic, Crystal knows that all life forms have one aura illuminating from them. Cresselia's aura is pink, but there are black and purple auras mingling with each other around her abdomen. Is she…?

Crystal has to draw the line at the thought. She would talk with Cresselia and Darkrai privately about the matter. Besides, she has a job to do.

Suddenly Dawn walks up to the Grovyle and stares down at her suspiciously. "So what's going on Ash? This is Crystal? What is she saying?"

The Pokémon glance at the humans before Crystal turns to Ash. "They cannot understand us, can they?" Crystal asks almost knowingly. Ash nods as he puts his hands in his pocket. Crystal sighs before she gestures Rocky, Gallade, and Ribo to come towards her. She mutters something to them before they turn to head towards the cave.

"Where are they going?" Darkrai asks.

"They're getting something that'll help." Crystal replies.

A few minutes later, the boys return with strange machines in their arms. They look like metallic collars that have a screen and a blue button. Crystal nods and the boys hand out the various collars to all the Pokémon. The heroes take the collars with bewildered looks. "What are these for?" Raikou asks.

"They're translator collars." Crystal explains as she puts her collar on her neck. "The others and I made these to translate various languages. They are also used to help us speak a specific language."

Soon Ash gets the idea. "So the machine can translate your words for other humans to understand."

Crystal smiles almost proudly. "Precisely." As soon as she adjusts her collar, she presses the blue button and speaks. "That's all that there is to it."

Brock and Dawn yelp as they step back. "It-It just talked!" Dawn points at the Grovyle from over Ash's body. Crystal smiles while Ash, Raikou, and Darkrai stand beside her. The Legendaries place their hands on her shoulders. "Everyone, this is Crystal. She is the leader of the group that has saved us from Terotrey when we were captured." Ash says.

The Pokémon are silent as they stare at Crystal suspiciously or with curiosity. Crystal smiles as she steps up. "I'm sure that the boys have told you that they kept quiet about me and my friends because they want to avoid getting you involved with this war. But since you have been involved for over a war, it is time that I tell you the truth about what really happened that night…"

And so Crystal explains about the full truth to the heroes' allies. She explains that the boys have told the truth about how they were lured into Terotrey's trap but have altered the explanation about how they escaped. Crystal explains about how she arrived to stop Terotrey and how her friends arrived to destroy the remaining robots after the scientist leaves. It turns out that Terotrey is after the boys because he doesn't want them to fulfill their destinies by saving the world together. When Crystal mentions Blackfire, she explains about her entire background story to the heroes. She also explains about her friends' background stories and demonstrates that each of them have an affinity that can be used to attack Terotrey. Then Crystal finishes the story by explaining that the boys have stayed overnight to rest and to train with her on how to summon their own affinities (aura for Ash's case). The only thing that Crystal doesn't mention is that she is related to Arceus; that is something that will stay between her, Darkrai, and Raikou.

It took barely a full hour to explain everything. When Crystal finishes, the Pokémon are silent as they relax and look somewhat thoughtful but still skeptic. Heatran couldn't stop staring at Crystal as he thinks about Blackfire. He was amongst the other exiles when Blackfire was in labor but he had to leave to grab some food. When he returned, he finds the exiles looking tired and Blackfire cradling a small white bundle. Is Crystal that infant he helped raise…?

Heatran's thoughts shatter when Suicune speaks. "How can you prove that you are Blackfire's daughter?"

The heroes are surprised by Suicune's sudden rudeness as she glares at Crystal challengingly. Raikou gives her a disapproving look while Crystal remains indifferent. Suddenly Crystal picks up a sharp rock and cuts her palm. Everyone shouts out in alarm but turn silent when they see yellow liquid dripping from her palm. When the liquid drops down onto the grass, small gold flowers grow quickly at where it lands.

"Because I know that Blackfire has gold blood. Her species are the only people that carry the gene." Crystal says simply.

The Pokémon are silent as they gawk at Crystal. The lizard ignores them as she uses Synthesis to heal her palm.

"… You are a Legendary," Drendan suddenly states. Crystal was surprised at first before she shakes her head. "Not quite. I was born after my mother was banished from the Legendary Council." She glances at Darkrai and Raikou. "The boys told me that she was exiled because she was pregnant with me. She never told me about who my father was."

Raikou and Darkrai know that Crystal is only partially telling the truth. She still wants to keep quiet about the thought of Arceus being her father.

"I know you," Heatran suddenly says. The heroes look at him. "I was with Blackfire during her labor here, but I had to leave to gather some food. When I returned, I saw you and Blackfire has assigned the exiles as your guardians."

Crystal tilts her head curiously as she stares at him. Then she smiles. "I know that you speak of the truth. I never mentioned that I was born here." The Pokémon look stunned before Entei steps up.

"You said that she and the other exiles are working for Terotrey only to protect you?" Entei looks somewhat nerved. Crystal nods. "Yes. For centuries I have gathered up an army that could help me take down Terotrey and hopefully free my mother and guardians."

Suddenly Ribo and Deoxys glance at each other. Their eyes widen.

"Ribo?"

"Deoxys?"

The Pokémon watch the duo as they stare at each other. Suddenly they launch forward and hug each other happily. Mewtwo looks somewhat incredulous and jealous. "What's going on?" He demands.

Ribo finally stops spinning Deoxys around as he faces his friends. "Guys, this is my sister!"

Deoxys doesn't let go of Ribo as she turns to her surprised friends. "This is my brother, Ribo. We lost each other after our encounter with Rayquaza. We have been looking for each other since then."

Suddenly Ribo turns to Crystal and places a hand on her shoulder. "But this won't change a thing, Crystal. I'll still help you with our war against Terotrey."

Crystal looks surprised when Ribo expresses 'our war'. Then she smiles. "Thanks, Ribo. I can't tell you how much that means to me." Then the lizard turns to the other Pokémon. "Now, are there any more questions about the situation so far?"

The Pokémon shake their heads. Crystal smiles. "I promise that we will involve the other Legendaries. But for now, Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash need their friends' support. My friends and I will plan out what to do first thing tomorrow morning."

"Cryssy!"

Crystal blinks and turns around. She sees Violet floating towards her with a distressed look on her face. Somewhat concerned, Crystal asks, "What is it?"

"Big news, girl," Violet dramatically waves her arms around. "Big, BIG news."

"What?" Crystal repeats impatiently.

Violet finally calms down. "Our spies want to talk with you. They say that it's urgent."

Crystal blinks. Before she could say anything, she feels someone tapping her shoulder. She hastily turns around and bumps her snout against a Houndoom's nose. The Houndoom hastily steps back. "Sorry! Sorry!"

"It's all right, Shadowfire."

Then Crystal notices an Arcanine, an Umbreon, and a Flareon behind the Houndoom. The Flareon has a scar across his left eye. Crystal smiles. "What did you find out?"

The Arcanine smirks as he walks up to Crystal. "Something that I think that you'll like." Crystal couldn't help but smirk up at him.

"Who are these guys?" Darkrai demands. Crystal turns to him. "This is Team Flame, the best group of spies in my army. Inferno is the leader." She gestures to the smirking Arcanine. "This is Shadowfire, the most resourceful member out of the team. And Luna and Burn are mates. Burn is a prankster and Luna is somewhat of a smartass."

The team smiles at the Legendaries and nods. Then Crystal glances back at the Arcanine. "So what did you find?"

Inferno smiles as he wraps a paw around Crystal's shoulder. "Well, maybe we can negotiate. If I give you the information, you give me what I've been asking."

Suddenly Ribo and Violet scoff as they cross their arms.

Crystal says nothing and huffs as she removes the Arcanine's paw. Then she turns to face him. "Inferno, we've already established this. I'm not interested and I have specifically stated that for the whole army to hear. And besides, I'm your boss; it will never work out."

Inferno only laughs as he shrugs. "Eh, it was worth a try."

The heroes glance at Crystal's friends questioningly. Ribo shrugs as he crosses his arms. "Inferno is somewhat of a pervert. He has gone after many girls in this army the moment he was recruited."

"And he has been after Crystal the moment she kicked his ass in their first combat." Violet adds. The heroes look surprised before they glance at Crystal. The lizard looks stern as she looks at the team. "Seriously, why did you guys come back? I know that you didn't come back just to let Inferno hit on me."

"We found Latias and the exiled Legendaries." Luna says suddenly. "Terotrey is keeping them in a prison inside his realm."

There is stunned silence as everyone stares at the team. "You're sure?" Crystal asks hoarsely. Hope soars through her heart as the Pokémon nod. "Are they all right?"

Shadowfire shrugs. "Latias seems fine, but the exiled Legendaries look like they have gone through a lot. I wouldn't be surprised if Terotrey left them to die."

Crystal looks worried. "In that case, then we need to go get them! Lead the way!"

"Crys, wait." Burn says as he gently holds her back. He looks serious. "We barely had any rest after we told you about Terotrey's plans. His robots almost killed us when we escaped a few minutes ago. They shot us down and did a good number on us."

Then Crystal takes a good look at the Pokémon. She sees the bruises and burns on their bodies and realizes that they were lucky to have survived through their ordeal. The wounds would probably take a whole night to heal if Crystal has help. And since they are the only people that know where the captives are, there is no way to go anywhere without their guidance. Crystal sighs; this is not going to be easy.

Crystal sighs as she steps back. "Very well. I'm sorry; you guys have risked a lot for me and I really appreciate that. I'll heal you up tonight but we are leaving first thing tomorrow."

The Pokémon nod in acknowledgement. Then Crystal turns to her allies. "Looks like we're all stuck here for tonight. We'll start the rescue tomorrow morning." She looks at Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash. "Boys, you and your friends are welcome to stay at my secret base. You know where it is." She looks at her friends. "Guys, you are dismissed. I need to tend to Team Flame."

The Pokémon nod and are about to go their separate ways until Crystal speaks again. "However, I want to speak with Darkrai and Cresselia privately."

The dream Legendaries blink while the other Pokémon go their separate ways. Team Flame follows Crystal's friends into the caves while the heroes walk towards the boulder that hides Crystal's base. When the Pokémon disappear, Crystal faces the remaining Legendaries.

"What's this about, Crystal?" Darkrai asks as he crosses his arms. Crystal could sense his distress. "Don't worry, Darkrai. I just need to ask you and Cresselia something. But just know that I'm asking it in a friendly sense. It might seem offensive, but I promise that it's important that you answer me honestly."

The Legendaries glance at each other before they nod to Crystal. The lizard lets out a sigh. "Have you fornicated with each other lately?"

Silence.

Twitch.

Twitch, twitch.

"What… The hell…?" Crystal notices the phantom's eye twitching while the swan's face turns unusually bright red. Darkrai looks like he is about to burst a vein as his eye continues to twitch in agitation. Crystal actually takes a step back in case Darkrai decides to attack her.

Suddenly Darkrai breathes and closes his eyes tightly. He clenches his fists. "It's not your business to know about our sex life, Crystalline."

Crystal sighs. "Darkrai, I understand but I have to know. You know that I wouldn't tell anyone else if my life depends on it. You promised to keep my secrets and I promised to keep yours. You have nothing to fear from me."

Darkrai silently fumes to himself. But to Darkrai and Crystal's surprise, Cresselia answers for them. "The night before last."

Darkrai stares at his girlfriend in disbelief while Crystal nods. "And have you two…" She hesitates. "… Done it at any other time?"

Cresselia shakes her head as her trust in Crystal improves. "No, it was our first time."

"I see…" Crystal murmurs as she glances at Cresselia. Darkrai lets out a ragged sigh as he runs a hand through his face. "Crystal, what's going on? How do you know and why are you bringing this up now?"

Crystal then glances between Darkrai and Cresselia thoughtfully. They have the right to know…

"I think I know about what's going on," Crystal murmurs. "But it's not good… Not good at all…"

"What isn't good?" Cresselia asks uncertainly.

Crystal says nothing before she faces Cresselia. "While I was holding onto Violet, I noticed something unusual with you." Cresselia frowns and Crystal continues. "I sensed three auras inside you. As a psychic, I can tell that all life forms have only one aura. Your aura is lavender but there were black and purple auras flowing around your abdomen section."

The Legendaries think about what the lizard is saying and finally understand what she means. They stare at Crystal with wide eyes as anxiety strikes their hearts. "Y-You mean…?" Darkrai couldn't finish the question.

Crystal nodded. "Yes. Cresselia is pregnant. You both are going to be parents by the next few days."

Cresselia suddenly loses her ability to levitate as she begins to hyperventilate. Darkrai looks more pale than usual. "Pregnant…?" Cresselia whispers in disbelief. "We're going to be parents…?" Darkrai mutters as he holds his mate tightly. Suddenly Cresselia begins to cry in her mate's neck and Darkrai snaps out of his shock to rub her neck soothingly. The trio know that if anyone finds out, then Cresselia and Darkrai will surely be exiled from the Legendary Council.

"What'll we do?" Cresselia cries helplessly. "We can't hide this secret from the Legendaries for long and we're not even ready to raise a baby!"

"Babies." Crystal corrects. The duo freeze and stare at Crystal. Crystal sighs when she realizes that she has made the situation worse. "I said that there are two auras around your abdomen. You're having twins."

Cresselia cries even harder while Darkrai tries to calm her down. Crystal couldn't help but pity the lovers; she understands what would happen and how it would affect their lives. Suddenly the situation between her own parents crosses her mind and she pauses. If Darkrai and Cresselia are exiled, then they and their children will suffer alone in the wilderness just as Crystal and Blackfire have. And if Terotrey finds out about them, he will make no hesitation to grab the four. Crystal narrows her eyes. No way in hell is she going to let the family suffer the same fate that she and her loved ones have gone through.

"I have an idea," Crystal says. "Cresselia can stay here until the twins are born. This place is safe from Terotrey's watch and the children will be happy and healthy here. While you two are out on your duties, my friends and I will watch over the kids. When they grow up, we can teach them about how to defend themselves. The Legendaries will never know that they even exist."

Darkrai and Cresselia suddenly look hopeful. "Crystal, you would really do that for us?" Cresselia murmurs through her tears. Crystal smiles and nods. "Laki knows about how to raise kids so she will be a big help. And while my friends and I are out on missions, the Chansey can watch over the twins. It all works out. I'm not going to let you and the twins suffer the same fate as my mother and I have gone through."

Suddenly Darkrai pulls Crystal into a tight hug. He murmurs several thanks while Crystal tries to move away from his body. "It's really no problem," She huffs as soon as she is free. She brushes her arms before she smiles at Darkrai almost amusingly. "But this will change some things."

"Like what?"

Crystal smirks as she clasps her hands together. "Now I'm gonna have to teach you how to be a good daddy! Boy, will that be fun!"

Cresselia giggles while Darkrai frowns. He doesn't like the sound of that; he knew exactly how capable Crystal is when she trains people. Her training on basics was painful; it almost scares the phantom to think about what she has in store for him.

Then Crystal bids the heroes good night and promises that they will work out the details by tomorrow morning. She turns to the cave and retires for the night.

While Darkrai and Cresselia join their allies in the spacious secret base, the phantom is convinced that Crystal is going to give him hell when she trains him on how to be a father. Sometimes he wonders if Crystal enjoys tormenting him. However, this better be worth it for Cresselia and his children's sake.

**Support, please! And please leave any comments about the chapter or story overall! Just telling me to continue updating doesn't tell me anything!**


	13. Chapter 13: Unexpected

**Another chapter. Team Flame belongs to BlackflameofPheonixClan.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 13: Unexpected**

Mist heavily covers the Garden of Eden and moistens the grass. The gentle wind blows through the plants and the caves are warm as the Pokémon sleep peacefully until the speakers blare out from the caves and outside the valley.

"RISE AND SHINE, EVERYONE! IT'S MORNING!"

Everyone almost had a heart attack as they jump up from the loud voice. They breathe heavily as they rub their throbbing heads.

"M-My head's pounding…" Raikou mumbles as he clutches his head. "What a ridiculously loud voice!"

"Arceus damn it!" Darkrai snarls as he comes out of the shadows. Cresselia groans as she sways beside him. "When I get my hands on that prick, I'll-"

His threat goes by ignored while the Pokémon groan and stand up. Suddenly Cresselia's face turns green as her stomach begins to twist unpleasantly. "I… I think I'm gonna…"

Darkrai notices his girlfriend's nausea and stops his ranting to look at her worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Suddenly Cresselia opens her mouth and vomits all over Darkrai. The Pokémon shout in alarm and disgust as they back away. Chunks of leftover berry remains linger on Darkrai's body as he remains immobilized from shock and disbelief. Then he turns to look at a frozen Cresselia and narrows his eyes. Cresselia looks guilty as the phantom flicks some of the substance off his arms.

Suddenly the cave door slides open and Crystal, Laki, Violet, and Ribo enter with smiles on their faces. They seem to be carrying various baskets of fruit as they step inside.

"Good morning, everyone. Sorry about Rocky's rude wake up call, but I made sure that he won't do it again. We brought you guys some-" Crystal stops as soon as she sees the sight. She immediately frowns while her friends grimace at the sight of Darkrai.

Crystal stares at Cresselia and Darkrai and immediately realizes that the swan must be experiencing morning sickness as a side effect from her pregnancy. She sweat-drops as she sighs. "Oh, dear…"

-ooo-

"Sorry about puking on you."

Darkrai only glares at his sheepish girlfriend while Crystal washes his hair. The Grovyle had forced the phantom out of the cave so she could clean him up in the lake. Since she has the water affinity, she uses her power to bend the water to clean Darkrai from various spots while the other Pokémon watch them from the shore.

Darkrai knows that he shouldn't be angry at his girlfriend for experiencing symptoms of her pregnancy, but he couldn't help it. He knew that Cresselia was pregnant and should have sensed it coming. Darkrai curses himself for not using protection on the night that they had mated; it could have saved everyone a whole lot of trouble. In a sense, he deserves being thrown up on.

Cresselia looks at Darkrai with pleading eyes and the phantom couldn't stay mad at his lover for long. But if it were someone else that has given him the fun task to clean undigested substance from his body, then he would have summoned a Dark Void to send the joker down to Hell without any regrets. But his girlfriend is the only exception; besides, Darkrai doubts that it would be good to punish her while she still has their babies growing inside her. All he needs to do is be patient with his mate. Besides, he had Crystal's help and support on the matter. It can't be so bad… Right?

Suddenly Crystal chuckles as she scrubs his back. "Wow, you've been through a lot lately…"

Darkrai glances over his shoulder to look at Crystal questionably. She shrugs as she speaks quietly. "First Terotrey captures you and tries to kill you. Then you have the issue with Violet and keeping quiet about us from your friends. Then you have another mission to do and you find out that you're going to be a father sometime soon. _And_ you wake up and end up puked by your girlfriend…"

Darkrai only grunts and shrugs. "Eh, it's not really a big deal."

Crystal smiles. "Liar." She mutters.

Darkrai sighs as he glances at his girlfriend. The swan is currently talking to the other Pokémon about something. "You're right. I guess I am kinda stressed about all of this. But who wouldn't be? What if I die before I see my children?"

Crystal hums as she rinses the phantom down with water. "Well, hopefully we will have the Legendaries on our side by tonight. I'll see if I can send Raikou's friends down to them and bring them back here. I'll give Mewtwo and Deoxys watches so they can warp to and from here at any time. I trust them."

Darkrai says nothing and Crystal suddenly smirks. "But first…"

Darkrai screams when a sudden force pushes him down into the lake. He jumps up and splutters as he turns to glare at a smirking Crystal. "What the hell?" He yells.

"You got some gunk in your hair…" Crystal murmurs before she shoots water at him again. Darkrai protests and splutters more while Crystal continues to aggressively wash him down. The Pokémon laugh at Darkrai's expense.

-ooo-

"Hey, Ghost Boy." Violet floats her way up towards Darkrai while the phantom dries out his hair. Crystal is currently speaking with Team Flame on what they are going to do to save the exiled Legendaries and Latias. The other Pokémon are told to relax while they speak so the heroes take the time to grab some breakfast.

Darkrai wraps his arm around Cresselia after he is sure that she is fine. She nuzzles against him happily as they make their way towards the various berry trees. They were enjoying their time together until Violet arrives. Darkrai honestly doesn't want to be around his other crush while he is enjoying his morning with his mate. But for the sake of being polite, he acknowledges her with a grunt while Cresselia smiles and nods to her.

The mischievous glint in the phantom's red eyes is unmistakable. "So what happened this morning? I saw what happened but I didn't get the full details." She looks genuinely curious.

Darkrai and Cresselia glance at each other. They aren't going to explain that Cresselia has experienced morning sickness as a side effect of her pregnancy. Cresselia shrugs. "It probably happened because of that unexpected wakeup call. It gave me a migraine and that must have nauseated me."

Violet nods before she glances at Darkrai. "OK. Just to let you know, we decided that we're going to hold back the rest of your training until we stop Terotrey."

"I know," Darkrai nods before he glances at Cresselia. He doesn't want her to go out on their mission to save Latias and the exiled Legendaries; it would be dangerous for their babies.

Laki runs up to the trio and joins in their conversation. "So, Darkrai. You and Cresselia, huh? I admit that I didn't see that coming!"

Cresselia looks at the pink Lucario and smiles. "Yes, it was rather fast." She glances at Darkrai. "How did you two meet?" Laki asks curiously.

Cresselia chuckles. "It wasn't exactly pleasant at first. When Arceus introduced us as counterparts, we were wondering what on Earth we were."

Darkrai decides to add to the explanation. "Yeah. Cresselia wondered if I was the grim reaper. I swear that Arceus was laughing at me for my torment."

"Now they are an item." Raikou suddenly pops up and joins the conversation. Darkrai glares at him for the interruption before he nods and hugs Cresselia. "Yes, we are."

Ash looks thoughtful as he walks up to the group. "I have always wondered about how everything has started. Like was Arceus really an egg before?"

"We may never know, but that's what the legend says." Raikou shrugs.

Violet looks incredibly thoughtful. "But what if even the legend isn't true? What if there is more to the universe than we think there is? What if there are other Pokémon that we don't even know about?"

Darkrai snorts and shakes his head. "Don't be absurd, Violet. The humans have recorded every Pokémon in existence. Besides, we Legendaries know that there are only 493 species."

Darkrai stops when Violet floats in front of him. She huffs defiantly as she pokes his chest. "Oh yeah? What if this world is the fictional world while the fictional world that we know of is actually the real world? What if this world is created for the sake of entertaining people that have nothing better to do with their lives? What if this is actually a world of fantasy and drama? What if our adventures are actually stories written by obsessive fans?" Suddenly Violet gasps as she puts her hands on her face. "What if _we_ are characters that an obsessive fan has created only to torture for her and other people's amusement?"

Suddenly everything turns silent as everyone gives Violet bewildered strange looks. Then Darkrai shakes his head as his bewildered look turns serious. "Violet, that is the biggest pile of Tauros crap that I have _ever_ heard in my life." He scowls.

Violet drops her thoughtful expression as she glares at Darkrai. "You don't know that!" She counters. Darkrai only rolls his eyes and leads his stunned girlfriend away from the psychotic clone that he has no idea why he harbors feelings for. Violet pouts as she crosses her arms.

-ooo-

"OK, is everybody accounted for?" Crystal asks as she looks at the heroes.

Ash crosses his arms as Pikachu leans over his head. "Yep. We're all here."

Crystal glances at the Pokémon before she speaks. "Due to our situation, there will be a slight change of plans. The Legendaries need to be involved with our combat against Terotrey because their base is at stake. However, we also need to go rescue Latias and the exiled Legendaries from Terotrey's Realm. But since we cannot be at two places at once, we need to split up into two groups. To make things easier, my friends, Team Flame, Raikou, Darkrai, Ash, and I will go rescue the exiles and Latias while the rest go find the Legendaries and bring them here." She points at Mewtwo and Deoxys. "I have given the psychics watches so they can teleport back here at any time. The group that is with them must stay with them at all times."

"Now wait a second!" Suicune protests as she steps up. "Why do most of us have to go back to the Legendaries? We just got the boys back and we don't want to lose them again!"

Crystal stares at Suicune before she sighs. "Suicune, I know that you are worried about Terotrey taking the boys away again. But you need to trust me on this. My friends and I have been fighting Terotrey for years and we know what he is capable of doing so we can protect the boys during the mission. And besides, I'm giving you the safest mission out of the two. The Legendaries will believe you on what you have to say to them; they won't believe someone that claims she is Blackfire's daughter.

Suicune relaxes as she stares at the Grovyle's eyes. For some reason, her eyes seem familiar…

"I want Cresselia to stay here." Darkrai says suddenly. The Pokémon glance at him in surprise. "It's not safe for her to go anywhere right now."

Before Crystal could respond, Raikou shakes his head. "Darkrai, we need everyone to pitch in. We need to do whatever it takes to stop Terotrey."

"Even at the cost of innocent lives?" Darkrai snarls viciously as he holds Cresselia behind him protectively.

"What are you talking about? Of course at the risk of someone's life! This is Terotrey that we're talking about!"

"But I'm not letting Cresselia get herself killed at such a vulnerable state!"

"Why is it so necessary for Cresselia to-"

Darkrai suddenly loses his patience and lets out a frustrated yell as he throws his hands up. "Oh for-! Cresselia is pregnant with my twins!"

Raikou looks stupefied. "She's what?"

"There! Happy?"

There is silence as everyone stares at Darkrai and Cresselia. Crystal looks somewhat surprised by Darkrai's sudden bluntness and knows that he has just gotten himself into a world of trouble.

Raikou stares at Darkrai before he raises his brows in bewilderment. "… No."

There is another silence as everyone suddenly stares at Cresselia. Then they stare at Darkrai and back at Cresselia several times. "Darkrai, tell me that this is a joke…" Deoxys says uneasily.

"No more of a joke than Terotrey's threat is…" Crystal mutters as she crosses her arms. The Pokémon stare at her. "You know about this?" Mewtwo demands.

"We found out last night…" Cresselia murmurs softly. "And that's the real reason I had my morning sickness…"

"Cresselia, do you have any idea of how bad this is?" Suicune cries out as she stares at her Legendary friend. "You know what will happen if Arceus finds out!"

Violet suddenly scoffs as she hovers before Cresselia beside Darkrai. The lovers look surprised by her suddenly protectiveness. "What you guys gonna do? Report her to Arceus?" The phantom sneers.

"We can't hide this from the others," Raikou mutters. "They are going to find out either way."

"No they won't!" Darkrai suddenly shouts. He points at the thunder tiger angrily. "I won't let my children or mate suffer from a stupid law enforcement that all Legendaries barely even agree with!" Suddenly the phantom develops a dark aura and the heroes back away in alarm. Crystal steps up and holds the phantom back by the shoulders.

"Darkrai, just calm down! This will work out! I promise that this discovery won't leave from this group!"

"Yes it will! The others will never hold onto that promise! It's duty before everything else and it has always been that way!"

"Darkrai, have a little trust in your own friends! They won't betray you like that!"

"Crystal, I can't stand the thought of my mate and children being taken away from me! Look at what it has done to you and your mother! Your own father banished you two and he hasn't been there for the better part of your lives!"

Crystal suddenly freezes as her face turns pale. The heroes gasp in shock. Darkrai suddenly realizes his mistake and covers his mouth in horror. His aura immediately fades away. "C-Crystal… I'm so sorry… It slipped…" He stammers.

Crystal says nothing as she turns to look at the Pokémon behind her. Sudden realization dawns on the new allies while Crystal's friends look quite gobsmacked. Raikou looks somewhat uneasy but furious by Darkrai's slipup and vows that he would make the phantom pay later. He just hopes that Crystal can leave from this situation without a broken heart.

Suddenly Laki walks up and stares at Crystal as if for the first time. "Crystal, is this true? Are you Arceus' daughter?"

Crystal looks at her supposed best friend and feels her heart pounding when she sees her friends' disbelieving looks. Laki's eyes are begging for the truth but Crystal couldn't bear the thought of losing her closest friends because of hiding a secret from them. But lying is futile now and she cannot avoid it forever. She is furious with Darkrai for slipping the secret out at such an inappropriate time, but she decides to let it go since it was at an unfortunate spur of the moment. Besides, Crystal knew that she has to tell her friends about the truth one day. They deserve nothing more than the truth.

Crystal sighs as she slowly nods. She doesn't look up when Ribo floats over and kneels down to stare at her eyes. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Crystal doesn't say anything. Suddenly realization hits Ribo and his expression softens. "You thought that we wouldn't accept you as you are."

Then Ribo surprises Crystal when he hugs her tightly. Crystal lets out a squeak of alarm while Ribo murmurs softly in her ear. "Crystal, nothing would ever change my thoughts about you. I admit that I'm surprised to know that you're Arceus' child, but that doesn't change who you are."

Then Ribo lets go and smiles genuinely at Crystal. Crystal doesn't need to read his mind to know that Ribo is being truthful. She smiles weakly and her eyes glint in tears. Suddenly Laki runs over to Crystal and squeezes her with a tight hug.

"I agree with Ribo, Cryssy. Arceus' child or not, you're my best friend and you always will be."

Violet and Gallade look surprisingly relaxed by the whole news. "We knew that Blackfire must have used to have a powerful mate before she had you." Violet suddenly hugs Crystal and her ruby eyes brighten. "It sort of explains everything that you do."

"Although the news is awesome, it doesn't change what we think of you." Rocky and Scalene hug Crystal from behind. Their grip nearly crushes the lizard's ribs. "You're still the lovable black and white smartass that we first met."

Crystal suddenly pulls away from her friends and stares at them incredulously. "You mean… You're not mad that I kept this from you?"

"Of course not," Violet shakes her head. "We know that you must be feeling a bit shocked by the news yourself, so we understand why you have kept quiet about it. Ever since we met, you always had a problem with making friends. You always wanted to have friends for life and want friends that like you for who you are."

Crystal looks quite surprised. Ribo smiles. "We know you better than that, Crystal. For years we have known you and we have always believed in you. You never let us down and always do something for a reason. Never once have we questioned your authority or beliefs, just as you have never questioned us for our beliefs."

Laki smiles as she wraps her arms around Crystal. "Besides, it's _you_ that we love, Crystal. _You_, the girl that has always been there for us and has helped us through our most troubled times. It is only right that true friends accept _everything_ about each other regardless of how bad the truth is. You've accepted us regardless of how badly our lives turned out at first. Without you, we would be lost in Terotrey's grasp."

Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash are surprised but relieved to see that Crystal's friends have accepted the girl wholeheartedly. But they are even more surprised when they see the Grovyle crying. The strong leader has never cried before. Crystal sniffles before she grabs Ribo and Laki and pulls them into a hug. "You don't know how much that means to me…" She murmurs weakly.

The duo only smile and pat her back while the other four Pokémon gather around to form a group hug around the Grovyle. They let Crystal cry out her relief and joy for a few minutes until she calms down. She pulls away and wipes her eyes before she smiles at her friends. Then she looks at the boys and they smile back at her.

"Crystalline…"

Crystal pauses as she turns to look at Mewtwo. The psychic strangely has a soft look on his face. He sighs as he places his hand on her shoulder. "The others and I also agree to keep quiet about you and Cresselia's pregnancy. As your friends and allies, we understand your situation and promise to remain silent until you are ready to tell everyone."

Crystal looks stunned as she stares at the Pokémon. When several of them smile and nod, she glances at Cresselia's face and the girls smile in relief. Darkrai lets out a sigh of relief as he wraps an arm around his girlfriend's neck.

The Pokémon are silent until they hear footsteps. They turn and see Team Flame walking towards them and look prepared to go. Crystal is relieved that they haven't overheard anything.

"You ready to go?" Inferno asks. He raises a brow and looks concerned when he sees Crystal's damp eyes. "You OK, Crys?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Crystal nods before she glances at the new allies. "So when you guys go grab the Legendaries…"

"Tell them about everything except what you just told us." Deoxys responds. Crystal smiles. "Right." Then she turns to Cresselia and places a hand on her back. "Cresselia, make yourself at home here. If you have any problems, then talk to one of the Chansey here. We'll be back hopefully by dusk."

Cresselia smiles and nods thankfully. Then Crystal turns to the heroes. "You all ready?" She asks.

"We're with ya, Crys." Rocky grins as he gives Crystal thumbs up. Deoxys and Mewtwo nod to the Grovyle as they access the code that she has given them. Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash exchange a quick farewell with their friends. Raikou and Suicune exchange loving nuzzles while Dawn hugs Ash out of instinct and makes the human blush from the sudden affectionate move. Then a portal appears beside the allies and the allies disappear into them.

Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash stare at the spot before they turn to Crystal. Team Flame has just activated a portal and Crystal's friends are already jumping inside. Soon Team Flame follows and Crystal glances at the boys. She nods to them before she jumps inside. Ash and Raikou follow suit but Darkrai remains behind.

The phantom hesitates before he faces Cresselia and cradles her face in his hands. His eyes turn soft as he gives her a loving stare. "We'll be back soon. I promise."

Cresselia smiles before she takes Darkrai's hand and places it over her stomach. The phantom is a little surprised by her bold move. "We'll be here waiting for you."

Darkrai is silent before he gets the meaning and smiles as he cradles her stomach. He uses his other hand to hold Cresselia's cheek and kisses her forehead before he turns away. He glances at his mate over his shoulder before he jumps into the portal. The dimensional portal slowly disappears and Cresselia is left in the valley alone.

Cresselia stares at the spot for several minutes until she feels extreme pain in her stomach. She groans as she kneels down but whimpers when the pain intensifies. She could feel something leaking from under her and turns to stare at the grass. To her horror, blood is dripping from her feminine area and she realizes what is happening.

"Oh no… Not now…"

Suddenly pain strikes at her most sensitive areas and she cries out in pain. Two Chansey walk out of the cave and notice the Legendary lying nearby the lake. They turn concerned and rush over to Cresselia. When they see the blood leaking from her private areas, they realize what's going on and immediately get to work.

"She's in labor! Quick, grab her!" One of the Chansey orders. Then the Chansey hoist the Legendary up and quickly carry her inside the cave. They ignore the questions thrown at them as they make their way towards the medical room. They hastily block the medical entrance and tend to the screaming Legendary while they pray that Crystal returns home soon.

**Feedback and comments, please!**


	14. Chapter 14: Failures and Plans

**Srry this chap took so long; one of the longest so far. Team Flame belongs to BlackflameofPheonixClan and Zarko is a new OC that belongs to Airman0007.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 14: Failures and Plans**

The heroes finally arrive at their destination and take a good look around. They are on a deserted island that is levitating in midair. There are several islands scattered around the endless dimension that have small buildings on them. Ash shudders. "Man, this place gives me the creeps…"

Crystal glances at Team Flame as they cautiously look around. Suddenly they point up and Crystal sees several robotic Pokémon flying over them. The heroes act quickly and hide behind large boulders. As soon as Crystal is sure that the robots are gone, she steps out.

"We're gonna have to be more careful…" Crystal mutters as she checks her watch. Then she raises her brow at Inferno. "Are you sure that this is the right spot?"

Inferno grimaces while his men hesitate. The Grovyle groans. "Don't tell me that you typed in the wrong code…"

"We might have…" Luna smiles sheepishly. But when the Grovyle glares at her, she defends herself quickly. "But I recognize this spot; it's not too far away from the prison."

Laki looks suspicious. "Define 'not too far away'…"

Burn sighs. "About an hour away. But since the robots are out, it might take even longer…"

"Aww, man!" Raikou whines. "So how are we supposed to get there from here?"

Crystal is silent as she thinks. Then she glances at Ribo, Gallade, and Laki. "Can you guys use your telekinesis to hold some people for a while?"

Gallade looks unsure. "We never held more than several Pokémon at once, but we can try."

Crystal nods in understanding and suddenly her blades begin to glow and grow longer. Then she flaps her arms and flies in midair. The heroes look greatly stunned and Crystal smirks. "A quirk that you get for being a psychic."

Suddenly Laki forms a surfboard with her aura. Then she and Gallade ride on it while Ribo and Violet levitate and Scalene carries Rocky. The four psychics look at the heroes and make the land walkers levitate with their telekinesis. Darkrai simply levitates beside his companions while they wait for Crystal to continue.

"Which way?" Crystal asks Team Flame. Shadowfire points at the left direction. "Straight that way."

Crystal nods and gestures her friends to follow her. Soon the heroes fly through the dimension and hide behind several buildings when a few robots pass by them.

-ooo-

"OK, easy. Just take several deep breaths. That's it." A Chansey soothes Cresselia as she rubs the swan's head reassuringly. The nurses are unsure if it's legal for Legendaries to reproduce, but they are more concerned about Cresselia and the baby's health.

Cresselia breathes deeply as she tries to withstand the unspeakable pain. She grimaces when something snaps and she cries out. Tears brim her eyes as the Chansey place a stick over her mouth to help ease the pain.

"OK, now relax." The second Chansey demands softly. "Now it's time to push."

Cresselia hesitates before she does what she is told. She pushes as hard as she could and cries out when the pain worsens. It feels like something is stabbing her from the inside. Cresselia suddenly bites the stick in half and the Chansey sweat-drop before they replace it with another stick.

"OK, good girl," The second Chansey soothes Cresselia before she moves lower down Cresselia's body. She notices a black head sticking out and she gestures Cresselia to continue. "Keep going, you're almost there! I can see the first twin's head!"

Suddenly forced determination strikes Cresselia and the swan narrows her eyes as she pushes one more time. She holds her scream as her first twin gets out. She takes in another breath and pushes down once more to release her second twin.

There is silence as Cresselia pants and sweats profusely. She takes a deep gulp of air and cranes her neck to glance at the Chansey that is holding her children. She lets out a sigh and throws her head back in exhaustion.

The first Chansey removes the stick from Cresselia's mouth and walks over to her assistant. She stops when she sees the infants and frowns. They aren't crying when they need to be. Heck, they aren't even moving. In fact, the duo look like deformed humanoid black and purple corpses.

The Chansey panic as they rush over to a heart rate monitor and inspect the twins' pulses. No heartbeats. When the Chansey realize that the twins have no identifiable faces on their bodies, horror and guilt plague their hearts.

"How are they? Are they OK? What do they look like?" Cresselia asks as she cranes her neck to look at the Chansey. Her hopeful smile falters when the Chansey remain silent. Suddenly the nurses turn to Cresselia with grim looks. Cresselia stares at their arms and looks disturbed by the deformed black and pink figures.

Suddenly realization hits Cresselia and her heart stops in dread and disbelief. It couldn't be…

"We're so sorry," The first Chansey murmurs as the nurses place the corpses onto a movable table beside the bed. They wince when they see Cresselia's horrified face. "It was a miscarriage, Miss Cresselia…" The second Chansey murmurs as tears brim her eyes.

Cresselia says nothing as she stares at the corpses in horror and disbelief. Soon sorrow and despair overwhelms her and tears begin to fall from her eyes. She ignores the lower pain when the sudden heartbreak overwhelms her. The Chansey say nothing as they turn to leave the room to give Cresselia some privacy. As soon as they close the door, they could hear the sniffles growing louder. Soon cries of agony echo in the cave and startle the soldiers out of their rooms.

"What's going on in there?" A Persian walks up to the Chansey with narrowed eyes. They glance at him and sigh while the sobs from behind the door grow louder. "Let's just say that a mother needs some time alone after experiencing a miscarriage…"

The Persian's eyes widen before his expression turns sympathetic. The trio remain silent as they continue to listen to Cresselia crying out her loss. The Chansey pray that Crystal and her friends return home to help the poor Legendary calm down from her loss.

-ooo-

Several hours later, the heroes arrive at their destination. Crystal was somewhat surprised but annoyed by how many robots were around. The heroes had to hide from them several times. Also, Team Flame (mainly Inferno) had taken several wrong turns and had to go back several miles to find the right path. Crystal could have sworn that she was about to lose her temper until Luna points at the prison and she immediately feels relieved. She could tell that her allies were just as relieved; they were tired of going around in circles. Ribo, Laki, Gallade, and Crystal were especially tired of using their telekinesis to carry most of the heroes.

As soon as they land on the floating island, the psychics slump down on the ground tiredly. They rub their heads painfully as they catch their breaths. Scalene puts Rocky down and looks somewhat tired of carrying something that is a little heavier than her. Violet huffs as she crosses her arms.

"This is no time to be lying around!" She snorts. "We need to get going!"

The Pokémon glare at her as they stand up. Then the heroes look up and stare at the prison. Seeing the bars over the windows and the two steel doors make them feel uneasy. Crystal then gestures for the Pokémon to follow her as she walks up to the steel doors.

"You sure that this is the place?" Laki asks as she squints her eyes and frowns. "It doesn't look that colossal to be imprisoning powerful Pokémon."

"That's precisely how Terotrey works. He is always cautious and disguises everything in order to deceive others." Crystal shakes her head. "Typical Terotrey…"

"I can sense a powerful aura from within… I'm certain that Latias is inside…" Ribo murmurs.

"Let's go get her then!" Raikou urges. Crystal holds him back. "Patience, Raikou. We can't barge in when there could possibly be security in the room…"

Suddenly Violet has an idea. "How about this? I go in there and check to see if the coast is clear. After I come back, only you, me, Raikou, and Darkrai go inside. They'll recognize you guys and the others can stay out here to check if the robots or Terotrey are coming."

"Good thinking, Violet." Crystal nods in approval. Then she turns to the heroes. "We'll go along with that plan. Raikou, Darkrai, Violet, and I will go inside while the rest of you stay out here to keep watch over anyone coming."

The Pokémon nod in agreement and Violet disappears into the shadows. When her shadow disappears under the building, the Pokémon are silent as they wait. Suddenly Darkrai feels a tugging in his stomach and immediately senses that something is wrong. He glances up at the sky worriedly. Crystal senses his distress and looks concerned. _'Darkrai? Is something wrong?'_ She calls to him telepathically.

Darkrai glances at her and hesitates. _'I dunno… But I feel like something bad is happening right now.'_

Crystal is silent as she stares at Darkrai thoughtfully. She honestly has been feeling uneasy as soon as the heroes arrived in Terotrey's Realm. She too felt like something is wrong but she couldn't figure out what it is. But before she could say something, her senses perk up when she hears footsteps.

'_Hold that thought, Darkrai. We'll talk later; I sense someone coming…'_

Darkrai blinks but doesn't say anything when Crystal suddenly snatches a pistol from Rocky's belt and points it at a nearby corner of the building. "I know you're there. Show yourself!" She demands. The Pokémon are quiet as Crystal waits for the supposed intruder to approach them.

There is silence before a person under a black cloak peeps from over the corner. Crystal tightens her hold on the gun as she stares at the stranger carefully. The cloaked figure says nothing as he slowly walks over to her. Crystal keeps her gun aimed at him as she walks cautiously closer. Her allies remain silent as they stare carefully at the intruder.

Suddenly the stranger quickly pulls out a dagger from his belt and aims it at Crystal's throat. The Pokémon yell in panic and prepare to attack until Crystal stops them with a hand in the air. To the heroes' surprise, she is smiling in amusement as she holds down her gun. "You almost got me for a second there, Zarko."

The intruder hesitates before a deep voice speaks. "How did you know that it was me?"

Crystal moves the dagger away from her face. "No one else I know has a dagger with a green dragon design on the handle. Besides, I could sense your aura even though you tried to block it from me."

Zarko is silent before he chuckles and puts away his dagger in his sheathe. The heroes notice that he has two pistols on either side of his belt. "This is true. You know me too well."

Crystal shrugs as she crosses her arms. "I've known you since I was born. But how is it that we can never meet without you pointing something at me?"

Suddenly Violet and Rocky snicker behind their hands. Crystal glares darkly at them for their dirty minds before she turns to the newcomer. The stranger removes his hood and reveals himself as a black and silver Lucario. The jackal looks strangely withered from age but his eyes say otherwise.

"What happened to you, anyway?" Crystal asks curiously. "You just disappeared from the face of the Earth…"

"Just had to do some tasks…" Zarko says quietly.

Raikou walks up and pokes Crystal's shoulder. "Who is this guy?"

Crystal turns to the heroes and gives Rocky back his gun. "Guys, this is Zarko. I've known him since I was born. He raised me along with the exiled Legendaries and was essentially the father that I looked up to."

"And the only caretaker that managed to keep her in line." Zarko adds. Crystal suddenly looks sheepish. The heroes look surprised while Zarko turns to Crystal. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I could ask you the same thing…" Crystal muses. "We're here to rescue Latias and the exiled Legendaries from this building."

Zarko looks somewhat amused. "Ah, then it seems that fate has intertwined our lives again, Crystalline. I'm here for the same mission. When I heard the rumors about Raikou, Darkrai, and Latias' capture, I grew concerned. Then I noticed the robots lingering around Earth and followed them into a portal. When I overheard that Terotrey is keeping the exiled Legendaries and Latias in a prison, I spent the last several days looking through each building to find them. I see that you have help coming here to find them…"

"It makes the job easier…" Crystal muses. Zarko shakes his head. "Crystal, have I taught you nothing? Life is never easy, but you must work hard to reach your goals."

"I've been following that rule since I started my army." Crystal scoffs. Zarko looks unimpressed and shrugs. Then he walks over to the steel doors. "If you're here to rescue them, then why are you all still out here?"

"My friend is checking out the room to see if it's free from security."

Suddenly a shadow flows beside Crystal and Violet pops up. Crystal turns to her. "Anything?" She asks. "Nope; it's all clear." Violet nods. Then she raises her brow at Zarko. "A friend?" She assumes. Crystal smiles. "Practically family. I'll explain later." Then Crystal walks up to the steel doors and tries to open them. But to her disappointment, they are locked.

"You're in my way, Missy," Zarko croons. Crystal blinks and steps aside as she watches Zarko pulling out a ring of keys from his belt. She stares as Zarko inserts a random key. He pauses and raises his brow at the lizard. "What? You thought that all the doors in this realm are freely open?"

Crystal smiles sheepishly as Zarko successfully opens one of the doors. When he enters the building, Crystal looks at her friends before she gestures Violet, Darkrai, and Raikou to follow. The trio enter and shut the door in front of their silent allies.

Suddenly Raikou holds up his snout. "EW! This place reeks!"

The heroes could smell the scent of death and blood and are immediately disgusted by it. Only Zarko and Crystal remain indifferent as they look around. The prison seems to be made up of only cages at either side of the narrow path before them. The Pokémon grow horrified when they see mold, rust, and blood on the walls. They feel disgusted when they see flies buzzing around different corpses. There is only one torch lighting up the room but it only lights up a fraction of the area.

"Who's there? Terotrey, is that you?"

Crystal stops as soon as she hears the voice. She adjusts her eyes to see a few huddled bodies in a cage at the end of the room. She rushes forwards and winces when the prisoners scream in panic and back against the wall. Crystal grabs the bars as she tries to talk to the Pokémon. But she yelps when the electricity flows through her and she hastily lets go. Instead, she stands before the bars with desperate eyes. "Guys! It's me, Crystal! Don't you recognize me?"

"… Crystal?" A voice asks darkly before it huffs. "Impossible. You cannot be her."

"Eclipso?" Crystal gasps as she leans forward to stare at the darkness. When he doesn't respond, Crystal speaks again. "I know that you're there. Please come out so I can see you."

Zarko steps up and stares at the prisoners. "They have been here for so long they think that everything is a hallucination…" He mutters. Crystal glances at him in disbelief before she turns to Eclipso. The phantom walks out into the light and narrows his eyes threateningly at Crystal.

"Eclipso, it's really me." Crystal murmurs softly as she reaches out to him. The phantom pulls back angrily. "Why do you keep turning away?"

Eclipso looks thoughtful as he glares at Crystal. "Strange… You look different the last time I saw you…"

Crystal blinks in confusion. Eclipso continues with his thoughts. "The last hallucination I saw was a little smaller and had much shorter blades…"

Zarko snorts. "See? Hallucinations…"

Eclipso glares at Zarko. "And I see that time has affected Zarko since he last left… Although this is somewhat of a surprise. This is the first time I had a hallucination of him…"

"Eclipso… It's really us…" Darkrai mutters as he floats up next to Crystal. He looks somewhat concerned but annoyed by his brother's stubbornness. Raikou joins his side while Violet hides behind him. "Yeah, it's us."

"Raikou and Darkrai…" Eclipso muses. "You haven't changed a bit. You look a little older, but you still haven't changed a bit."

Crystal suddenly has enough and earns Eclipso's attention. "Eclipso, we're not hallucinations! We're real! We've come to save you!"

"Have you now? Well, that's very kind of you, but you forget that you're just a vision made to deceive us! Terotrey has designed holograms of our closest friends so he could torment us and you are no different."

Crystal is silent until Zarko sighs. "Crystal, I'm going to open the cell. You and the boys go inside and Violet and I will back you up if things turn ugly."

Crystal nods as the Pokémon watch Zarko take out the keys and insert the correct one into the cell. The exiles let out shrieks as Crystal, Raikou, and Darkrai step inside. Zarko and Violet quietly go inside and guard the door as they watch Crystal approaching Eclipso slowly. The phantom remains silent as he glares down at her.

"Eclipso, what do I need to do in order to prove to you that I am the real Crystal?" Crystal asks quietly. Eclipso snorts. "Interesting… The other Crystal has asked the same question but always failed to do the task."

"What do you ask?" Crystal demands. Eclipso snorts. "I will give you three questions that I know only Crystal knows and you need to answer them correctly. If you get one of them wrong, then I will know that you are a fraud. Shall we begin?"

Crystal looks surprised before she nods. "Fine. What is the first question?"

"Where is Crystal's secret sanctuary?"

Crystal's answer is automatic. "It's a secret cave in the large boulder nearby the lake at the Garden of Eden. It has a panel that you need to find and to put in the correct code so you can enter the base."

Eclipso looks somewhat unimpressed. "Correct, but that is only beginner's luck. Let's do another. What object did Blackfire give Crystal when Crystal came back to free her?"

"A Star Piece necklace. However, I found out that it is actually Arceus' Jewel of Life that was disguised for protective reasons. My mother trusted me to keep the orb safe in order to protect Arceus' fate."

Eclipso looks greatly surprised by this. "So you know more than we thought. But I still have one more question and only the real Crystal knows this…" Then the phantom takes a deep breath. "… What did Crystal call me in private when she was much younger?"

Crystal looks somewhat surprised before she sighs in relief. "… Lippy." She mutters under her breath. She blushes when Zarko and Violet hold back snorts.

Eclipso's expression immediately changes. His hard glare softens into a look of wonder and hope. He holds Crystal's arms and is surprised by how soft she feels. Then he brings his hands up and cradles Crystal's face. He stares hard at her gold eyes and immediately sees the glint that he thought that he would never see again. "Crystalline… You're really here…" He murmurs as he rubs his thumbs across her cheeks.

Crystal smiles as she holds his wrists and savors his brotherly touch. Then she wordlessly pulls the phantom into a hug. In response, Eclipso wraps his long arms around the lizard and begins to cry on her shoulder. He keeps repeating 'It's you…' several times while Crystal gently rocks him and rubs his back soothingly. Suddenly the other exiles walk up to the sight and stare in wonder. Suddenly Raikou rushes up to Saberspark and nuzzles against his brother fondly. The tiger looks hesitant before he nuzzles back. Darkrai and Eclipso only acknowledge each other with a brief nod. Zaptaran notices Zarko and nods to him. "It's been a while, Zarko…"

The Lucario nods and adjusts his cloak. "It has. I'm sorry that I left so early; I had to do some tasks." The exiles wordlessly nod before suddenly Latias floats up from her cage. When Darkrai and Raikou see her, they rush up to her. "Latias! How are you? Are you OK?" Raikou asks.

The dragon nods. "Yeah, I'm fine. The exiles and I got caught up in a lot of stuff. They told me everything about Crystal, Terotrey, and Blackfire."

Darkrai and Raikou hesitate as they glance at each other. "Everything?"

Latias looks intrigued. "So you know that she's…?"

"Arceus' daughter." The trio say at the same time. They look surprised before they nod. "But we agreed to keep quiet about that part." Darkrai adds.

"We did too. Who knows what Terotrey would do if he knows…" Latias muses. Then the Pokémon shudder before Latias glances at the lizard. "But based on what I have heard about Crystal, she's a good kid so we will keep quiet about her…"

Crystal has overheard the conversation but is too enthralled by her hug to say anything. Even though she is thankful for the exiles and Latias for keeping her heritage as a secret, she's more happy about being in Eclipso's arms again. The phantom that she has always looked up to is alive and that is all that she could ask for. He and the exiles might need to go through some serious therapy, but Crystal is willing to do whatever it takes to heal them up again.

"Sorry to interrupt this touching situation, but aren't we kinda on a mission?" Violet asks as she taps Crystal's shoulder. Eclipso slightly loosens his hold on Crystal as he raises a brow at Violet. "Who are you?"

"She's a clone that Terotrey made." Crystal says quickly. When Eclipso only stares, Crystal shakes her head. "I'll explain later…" Then she smiles widely. "But now that we're here, we're going to bust you out and take you back home!"

Suddenly Eclipso looks grim. "You can take Latias, but the rest of us cannot go with you."

Crystal's smile turns into a frown as she stares disbelievingly up at Eclipso. She shakes her head a bit as she steps back. "What?"

Eclipso sighs as he looks down at the floor. Then he forces himself to look at Crystal's gold eyes. "Latias can go with you guys, but the exiles and I must stay here."

Suddenly Crystal looks outraged. "Why?" She demands. Violet could sense tension and needs a reason to get out of the room fast. She glances at Darkrai and stomps on his foot. The phantom lets out a cry and the Pokémon stare at them questionably.

"Oops, I accidentally stepped on Darkrai…" Violet feigns looking guilty as she grabs Darkrai by the arm. Then she looks at Crystal specifically. "The boys and I will go check on him outside, if that's OK…"

Darkrai shoots a disbelieving look at Violet as she drags him out of the cage. "Accidentally? That was on purpose, you-!" Darkrai's threat remains unheard as the clone pushes him outside the steel door. Meanwhile, Zarko unlocks Latias' cave and leads her out of the prison while Raikou glances uneasily at the others before he leaves the building.

Crystal knows what Violet really did and is somewhat grateful to have a private moment with her allies. Darkrai will have to deal with a bruised foot for a little while. Then she looks at Eclipso expectantly and crosses her arms as she waits for him to say something.

Eclipso feels weak when he sees Crystal's heated look. The pain and anger in the gold pools shows that she wants answers, but Eclipso couldn't help but look at Crystal more closely. She is beautiful; Blackfire and the exiles have raised her well. Even though they haven't been there for most of Crystal's life, Eclipso is grateful to have known Crystalline. It's been so long since he has last seen her and he wants to treasure as much time with Crystal as possible because he loves her.

Yes, the phantom loves the daughter of his old friends as more than just as a pupil. Her elegance and personality amaze the phantom and his heart flutters whenever he just looks at her. He knows that what he is feeling is forbidden, but he cannot help it. He has been fond of Crystal until she decided to disguise herself as a Grovyle; that's when his crush started. Eclipso doesn't know how it happened; it just did. Eclipso initially scolded himself for having such feelings for his pupil, but then he realizes that he truly loves her since the feelings cannot seem to go away.

But there are three issues with Eclipso's crush. The first is how other people would think. Blackfire and the other exiles would definitely kick Eclipso's ass and be more protective of Crystal. The second issue is the age difference; Eclipso is a little more than twice Crystal's age and he knows that several customs are strict with age limits. And the third issue is the most important one; Eclipso is sure that Crystal doesn't feel the same way for him. She probably thinks of him as an older brother and nothing more. Even though he accepts her friendship, he couldn't help but wish that it would be something more…

And then there is Terotrey. The monster has ruined everyone's lives and he is basically the primary reason why Eclipso has no hopes of being with Crystal. The man has imprisoned him and the exiles and they have no way to escape him. Besides, Crystal probably doesn't have the time to court anyone since she is handling training an army of Pokémon…

Eclipso sighs helplessly. "Crys, we can't go with you." He tries to stare at Crystal sternly but falters when she glares up at him. He tries again. "We agreed to work for Terotrey as long as he doesn't hurt you."

"But look at yourselves!" Crystal shouts. "You look like you're going to die at any time soon!"

Eclipso grabs Crystal's arms and makes her look at him. "Crystal, I would die and know that you're safe rather than leave and risk Terotrey hurting you more than he already has."

Crystal shakes her head. "I can handle Terotrey just fine; I've kicked his ass several times and stopped most of his plans!"

Eclipso chuckles. "I know that you can. But even if we leave with you, we wouldn't live long."

Crystal frowns. "What do you mean?"

Eclipso sighs as he holds up his wrist and shows the tracker to Crystal. "Terotrey has planted a tracking device into all of us. It is also a transmitter. If he finds out that one of us escapes, then he will send a terminal virus into our bloodstreams. The virus will instantly shut us down."

Crystal's eyes widen. "You must be joking! He'll kill you the moment he finds out that you escaped?"

"Yes." Eclipso sighs sadly as he grabs her hand and massages it. "Crystal, we'd love to go with you but we have no choice on this matter. I'm sorry…"

"Oh, Eclipso…" Crystal murmurs as she rests her head against his chest and hugs him. "I'm sorry… I didn't know…"

Eclipso inhales sharply as his heart pounds rapidly. Even though he would love to hold Crystal into his arms, he resists the temptation and reluctantly pulls away. He tries to look stern. "You must go now. If Terotrey finds out that you're here, your rescue mission will be wasted."

"But Eclipso-"

"No buts, young lady."

Crystal huffs and crosses her arms stubbornly. Eclipso smiles as he holds her arms gently. "Please go. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Crystal is silent as she stares up at Eclipso's ruby eyes. Suddenly she lowers her eyes as tears brim her vision. "But I don't want to lose you either…" She murmurs.

Seeing the lizard so sad makes Eclipso's heart twist painfully. He suddenly holds her face in his hands and makes her look at him. He smiles sadly as he kisses her forehead gently.

Crystal sighs again. "… OK. I trust you, Eclipso. Just promise that you and the others will be careful."

"Can't promise that." Eclipso chuckles. Crystal is silent as she stares at Eclipso for a long time. Suddenly she grabs his hand and holds it in both her hands. "I will go but I leave with this promise." She holds up their joined hands as she stares at Eclipso's eyes intently. "I will not stop fighting Terotrey until he is defeated. I will make sure that you all will be free from his reign forever. I will not abandon you. I promise."

Eclipso says nothing as Crystal turns to leave. His heart aches as Crystal stops by the steel door and stares at the exiles for a long moment. Then Crystal smiles at them and closes the steel door behind her.

There is silence as Eclipso stares at the door. Suddenly Saberspark walks up to him and places a paw on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Eclipso. We'll see her again…"

When Eclipso says nothing, Saberspark suddenly smirks. "And you're secret infatuation with her is safe with us…"

Eclipso blinks and gives his friend a horrified look. Saberspark shrugs. "You talk in your sleep…"

Eclipso then looks at the other exiles and notices their smiles or smirks. He is silent before he groans and runs a hand through his face. This is going to be a long night…

-ooo-

"Where are the exiles?" Laki asks as soon as Crystal is out. Crystal says nothing as she slowly lets go of the door handle and turns to the heroes with a grim look. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't talk them into coming with us. Terotrey made a program that would kill them the moment he knows that they escaped…"

The heroes look outraged. "What?" Rocky yells. He's about to start complaining when Zarko suddenly snaps his mouth shut. "Quiet! I hear something…"

The heroes turn silent while Crystal thinks to herself. She doesn't know why, but she feels… Different around Eclipso now. What's happening to her?

After a moment of concentration, Zarko snaps his eyes open and swears. "Damn! Terotrey is coming this way!"

Crystal snaps her head up and looks just as panicked as the other Pokémon do. Then she quickly holds up her watch and activates a portal. As soon as it opens, the Pokémon hastily jump inside. Crystal hesitates as she looks at the prison over her shoulder. Is Terotrey coming to torture them again…?

"Crystalline! Let's go!" Zarko orders when most of the Pokémon jump inside. Crystal remains silent as she stares at the prison. Zarko snarls before he walks up to Crystal and slaps her across the face. Crystal snaps out of her shock and looks up at him disbelievingly.

"There's no time to worry about the exiles now! Terotrey is coming and we can do nothing to help them! Let's go!" Zarko roars as he pulls Crystal towards the portal. Crystal glances back at the building and regret builds up in her heart as Zarko jumps into the portal with her. _'Please be safe…'_

Just as the portal disappears, Terotrey arrives at the island with a furious look on his face.

-ooo-

The heroes land in the middle of the Garden of Eden and are somewhat surprised to realize that it's already night. They have been gone longer than they thought they were. Ribo checks his watch. "It's already eight…"

"That took us ridiculously long!" Violet snarls as she glares at Team Flame. "Next time take your missions more seriously! We could have saved up a lot of time!"

Luna huffs as she narrows her eyes at the phantom. "We're sorry that our watches were so overused that they would be glitchy!"

"Enough!" Crystal comes between the two and gives them stern glares. "We got back safe and that's all that matters! Just drop the argument and be glad that we're back!" She then looks at Team Flame. "You are dismissed. Thank you for your help."

Team Flame salutes Crystal and turns to head to the caves. When they are gone, Crystal turns to Latias. "Latias, is there anything that we can get you? Some food or a drink?"

"Actually, some berries would be nice…" Latias nods thankfully. Then Crystal asks Scalene and Rocky to go grab some berries from the trees and the duo nod before they leave.

"Ash!" Two voices call out. Suddenly the trainer is tackled back by his friends. The heroes turn and see that their allies have returned. "How'd it go?" Crystal asks.

Deoxys sighs as she shakes her head and crosses her arms. "No one was in the Hall of Legends. Arceus wasn't even there. So we spent most of the day looking for the Legendaries at their homes but couldn't find them…" Deoxys then holds up her watch. "We teleported so many times that it was lucky that we had enough power to warp back here…"

Although somewhat disappointed, Crystal nods. "We'll try again tomorrow. We all had a trying day today."

The allies notice Latias and welcome her back before they notice Zarko and welcome him as well. Heatran notices something. "Crystal, where are the exiles?"

"We couldn't take them. Terotrey planted a device on all of them that would transfer a terminal virus into their bloodstream the moment he finds out that they escaped."

Mewtwo raises a brow. "You're kidding, right?"

"No better than your mission turned out, but at least we got Latias back."

Soon Rocky and Scalene return with the berries and hand them out to Latias. The dragon gobbles down the berries hungrily as the Pokémon continue to talk.

"It's weird; everyone's been missing today and it's not just the Legendaries…" Drendan muses. Ribo frowns at him. "What are you talking about?"

"We got back about five minutes ago and this island is deserted. No one is around in the valley or the caves."

The heroes are silent while the psychics glance at each other and use their telekinesis to sense other Pokémon. "Where's Cresselia?" Darkrai suddenly asks worriedly. "Have you seen her?"

"That's strange…" Gallade frowns. "Everyone is down at the medical bay for some reason…"

"Crystalline!"

Everyone blinks and turns to see a Butterfree flying towards them. The insect is holding a very tiny disk with her hands. She gives the disk to a puzzled Crystal. "What's this?" Crystal asks.

"It's a message from Terotrey! His robots gave it to one of our scouts about an hour ago…" The insect says a little breathlessly. Crystal instantly looks suspicious as she inspects the disk. Then she carefully inserts the disk into her watch and waits for the message to pop up. Soon a hologram of Terotrey's sneering human face pops up. The Pokémon look a little unnerved by his smile.

"Do you honestly think that you're so slick, Crystalline?" The scientist sneers. "I was aware of your plan to rescue Latias and the exiles under my nose. I am not that stupid. Thanks to the Rhyperior and Charizard's gear, I was able to overhear everything that you all talked about. I know about everything, including your relationship with Arceus and of Cresselia's pregnancy. Your sneakiness was a waste of time…"

Scalene and Rocky look horrified as they cover their mouth. The Pokémon are speechless and Crystal could feel her heart stopping. No…

"By the time you receive this message, it will be too late." The scientist smiles evilly. "By the time you take away Latias, I will take away two innocent lives. I have invaded their minds and stressed their minds to the point of death. You're smart, Crystalline. You'll figure out who those two souls are. You take away my prisoners, then I take away your allies. An eye for an eye, as they say." Then the scientist waves mockingly. "Stay out of my way or more lives will be taken."

Soon the hologram disappears. Crystal is silent as she lowers her arm and breathes deeply. She couldn't believe their misfortune. Terotrey knows about everything now…

"Cryssy…" Rocky looks so guilty as he gazes pleadingly at Crystal. "We didn't know that Terotrey had control over us…"

The lizard sighs and shakes her head as she pats the Rhyperior's arm. "It's not your fault… None of us knew…"

"Who did he kill?" Suicune asks uneasily.

"That's why everyone is at the medic bay!" Laki realizes. "Terotrey must have killed them!"

"But who did he kill? That's what we want to know!" Heatran demands irritably.

"Crystal!" Team Flame calls. They look distressed as they run back to Crystal. "We just found out that Cresselia is in the medical lab! She was in labor while we were gone! She had twins!" Burn says urgently.

"Two innocent lives…" Ribo muses. Suddenly realization hits him and he looks horrified. He looks at Crystal and Crystal's eyes widen as she glances at Darkrai's suddenly pale expression. "Or worse…" She whispers.

Hoping that she is wrong, Crystal suddenly bolts towards the cave with Darkrai beside her. The duo race through the cave while the heroes remain behind. Then the heroes realize what is wrong and are horrified before they chase after the duo.

-ooo-

Sobs echo in the hallway as Crystal and Darkrai race towards the medical bay. They push their way through the crowd as they make their way towards the door. One of the Chansey recognizes the duo and lets them in without any questions. The Chansey locks the door as Darkrai and Crystal run down the stairs and take in the sight.

Cresselia is lying on a bed while the Riolu triplets and a Chansey try to calm her down. Cresselia looks like she had the life drained out of her. Her glow is gone and her face is wet from her tears. Her eyes that were once lavender now look almost maroon. When the swan looks up at the duo, her look of despair and isolation strikes them.

"Oh my Arceus!" Darkrai shouts as he floats over to his mate and scoops her into his arms. Cresselia cries on his shoulder while Crystal rushes down to give her a comforting hug. Suddenly the door opens and the rest of the heroes run down the stairs. They stop a few feet away from the bed and stare at Cresselia in shock. Soon Darkrai and Crystal loosen their hug and Cresselia takes a deep breath. Darkrai gently runs a thumb over her cheek. Then he rocks back and forth as he whispers words of love to his mate.

"'Lia, where are the babies?" Darkrai coos as he calls Cresselia by her nickname. Cresselia lets out a choked sob as she glances at a table against the wall. Darkrai and Crystal are hesitant before they walk over to the table with dreaded hearts. Crystal gently removes the cloak on the table and the duo stare in horror. Two black deformed corpses are resting next to each other and have a hint of blue on them. Neither Pokémon could determine where the face is and Crystal could sense mental distress radiating from the corpses. So it's true; Terotrey _did_ kill them…

While Darkrai begins to hyperventilate, Crystal holds a finger over her lips as she tries to avoid looking revolt. The other Pokémon look over their shoulders and cry out in horror and disbelief. Cresselia continues to cry while the Pokémon begin to turn away. Darkrai and Crystal remain beside the table and continue to stare at the corpses. Then Darkrai looks at Crystal with glassy eyes.

"Crystal, tell me that this isn't true…" Darkrai spoke softly. Crystal looks at him but doesn't say anything. Darkrai growls as tears begin to slide down his cheeks. Suddenly he grabs her neck and pulls her close to him. Crystal could see flames in his eyes as he yells at her. "TELL ME!"

Crystal still doesn't say anything as she stares at Darkrai regretfully. Darkrai suddenly calms down but his expression turns sorrowful. He holds Crystal's hand and squeezes it painfully tightly. "Tell me that it's not true. _Please_…" His voice is barely above a whisper. Crystal wishes that she could say no, but she cannot lie to the phantom. She slowly closes her eyes as she squeezes his hand tightly.

Darkrai pulls back as he looks bitterly at his offspring's corpses. He holds up a trembling hand as he caresses one of the corpses softly. Heartbroken, he suddenly falls down to his knees and cries against the table. His body shakes while Crystal pets his back comfortingly. "No… Please no… They can't be… Not my babies…" He cries out in anguish. Raikou and Ash walk up to pet Darkrai's back comfortingly. They both hold sympathetic sad looks.

The heroes could sense Darkrai's pain and remain silent as they hang their heads in remorse. They know that it must be hard for both Darkrai and Cresselia for losing their first children by an unfortunate event. They could tell that the parents are going to be depressed for a long time. Only Laki, who is the only parent out of the heroes, feels the greatest sympathy for the duo. She could not imagine what it would be like to lose her children but she doubts that she would be any better than Darkrai and Cresselia are. The jackal walks up to the swan and wraps her arms around the swan. The Legendary cries onto her neck while the triplets crawl up and hug her body.

Crystal looks grim as she turns to face the heroes. "The twins died by Terotrey's doing. He has stressed their minds and caused a miscarriage…"

"_I am going to kill him!"_ Darkrai suddenly roars as he floats up. The Pokémon back away when his black aura erupts in large flame patterns. The phantom begins to fade into the shadows but Crystal holds him back by the shoulder and breaks his concentration. Crystal could sense that he is going to leave to attack Terotrey but she knows that the attempt is suicidal. He is only acting on the brink of the moment. "Darkrai…"

Darkrai glares at Crystal with heated eyes. He yanks away from her but Crystal wouldn't let up. "Let me go!" He demands.

"Darkrai, just calm down!" Crystal orders.

"He killed my children and he needs to pay with his life!" Darkrai tries to move to the door but Crystal grabs his shoulders tightly. "Darkrai-"

"I said let me go!" The phantom shrieks. Then Crystal loses her patience.

"_Arceus damn it, control yourself!"_ She demands furiously. Darkrai suddenly stops struggling and stares at the lizard with shocked eyes. She looked positively livid and scary that it reminds everyone of how frightening Arceus can be. Crystal then calms down after she takes a few deep breaths. Her expression softens. "Darkrai, please be reasonable." Her voice is quiet. "Going to Terotrey's Realm won't do any good. It's suicidal and it won't bring your children back. You need to save your strength for tomorrow night when we stop Terotrey from taking over the Hall of Legends."

Knowing that she is right, Darkrai forces himself to calm down although the pain is still there. Once she is convinced that Darkrai will stay, Crystal lets him go. "You and Cresselia can rest here for the night. Take all the time that you need. The others and I will discuss about our plans outside…"

Darkrai nods curtly as he floats around her to hold Cresselia. Laki and her children let go of Cresselia and walk with Crystal outside of the room. Raikou and Ash glance at Darkrai before they leave the room with the other Pokémon. Team Flame helps push the Pokémon away so the heroes can leave the tunnel. As soon as all the soldiers return to their rooms, Team Flame decides to continue watching Terotrey in order to see what he plans to do next. Crystal says nothing as they leave and remains quiet as the heroes walk outside.

-ooo-

In the valley, the heroes are silent as they sit nearby the lake. They are furious, disappointed, and upset by everything that happened. Then Ash looks up at Crystal as her plays with the water. "Crys, what do we do now?"

Crystal is silent as she stares at her reflection. "Terotrey knows too much. He knows about what I am and he will use it against us."

Raikou looks uneasy as he glances at the Jewel of Life. "Does he know about the orb?"

Crystal glances down at it before she shrugs. "I'm not sure, but it's possible. If he isn't going to be after the child of Arceus, then he will be after the orb that contains Arceus' life."

"But what will we do about Terotrey invading the Hall of Legends?" Raikou asks. Crystal glances at him. "We're sticking to the first plan, but we need to get to work first thing in the morning. Hopefully we'll all be ready by nightfall…"

"By tomorrow night? Are you kidding? It'll take days to prepare everyone!" Violet gapes in disbelief. "And I doubt that our army is enough to handle Terotrey's robots if he decides to bring them…"

"I know, Violet. And as ugly as it sounds, we have no choice but to involve everyone as much as possible. I have already sent most of my best soldiers to gather up as many Pokémon and human allies as we can possibly get. Everyone should arrive below this island by morning. The chances are that the Legendaries will overhear my soldiers and gather up the other Legendaries before they follow my soldiers. All we can do is wait until tomorrow morning and hope for the best."

It isn't much of a plan, but it will have to do. The heroes nod reluctantly before Crystal continues. "Terotrey plans to destroy Mt. Coronet since it is where the entrance to the Hall of Legends resides in. That is where our battle will take place. However, we have a slight advantage for fighting in the mountains."

"What advantage?" Ash asks. Crystal suddenly smiles as she presses a few buttons on her watch. Instantly a map of the Shinnoh region pops up. Crystal points at Mt. Coronet's peak. "The Legendaries hold their meetings within these mountains for a reason. Nothing can be detected there because the rocks are very dense and the thin atmosphere scatters aura radiation!"

Realization hits Zarko and he looks intrigued. "So you're saying that the robots won't be able to locate life forms on the mountains."

Crystal smiles. "Precisely. They wouldn't use lock-on guns on us and we have a better chance of survival as long as we catch them by surprise."

The heroes murmur amongst each other and seem to approve of the plan. Heatran smiles widely as he pets Crystal's back. "You're like your mother. You are very resourceful and make good plans."

Crystal smiles and nods up to Heatran before she looks at Raikou and Ash. "Boys, I want you and Darkrai to stay with me at all times. We didn't have much time to train you on handling your powers but I will need your help to stop Terotrey with whatever he plans to do to the mountain."

Raikou and Ash nod in understanding. "Don't worry, Crystal." Raikou gives the lizard a slight hug as he smiles. "We won't let Terotrey win. I will not serve a false God." Crystal smiles.

"Yeah!" Rocky punches a fist in the air. "We're gonna go kick some robot ass tomorrow night!"

Several of the Pokémon let out cheers and hold up their own fists. Crystal smiles again as she envelops Raikou and Ash for a hug. While the Pokémon chatter amongst themselves, Crystal speaks quietly to the boys. "Don't worry about a thing; you will have us all until the end. But if we do defeat Terotrey, then let Darkrai make the final hit. I'm sure that he would appreciate it…"

Ash and Raikou smirk as they share a handshake with the smiling lizard. "It's a done deal, Crystalline."

**Support, please! And know that the twins will not come back to life; it's not going to happen.**


	15. Chapter 15: Alliances

**Feedback, please! Zarko belongs to Airman0007.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 15: Alliances**

In the dark laboratory, Eclipso pants and stands up after Terotrey smacks him down. He glares up at the scientist bitterly while he holds his burnt waist. Terotrey smirks and twirls around his electrical whip. Eclipso is grateful that Crystal left just in time; he didn't want her to experience the punishment that Terotrey has placed upon the exiles when he found out that they let Latias go.

Terotrey chuckles as the electrical whip slides back inside into its handle. The scientist places the weapon into his coat pocket as he walks towards the phantom. The phantom remains silent as Terotrey circles around him with his hands held behind him. "You're hopes of stopping me are useless, Eclipso. I know about everything."

"What may that be?" Eclipso asks coolly. Terotrey chuckles.

"During my talk with Saberspark," Terotrey chuckles as he expresses 'talk' and Eclipso snarls. "He told me all about what you know. One piece of information happened to catch my interest. He tells me that you harbor feelings for a girl that I despise."

Eclipso flinches and Terotrey smirks as he wraps an arm around Eclipso's shoulder. He slowly leads the phantom towards his machine. "It's true then. I must admit that you sure know how to pick good ones. Based on what I've heard, Crystal is a lot like her mother." Terotrey chuckles darkly.

Eclipso glares at Terotrey darkly but he chooses not to say anything. Then the duo stop before the machine. "I must be boring you with my thoughts." The scientist muses as he walks up to the machine. He holds his hands behind him as he looks at the spherical electricity flowing around the container. "But before I ask you something, I think that I should mention that you were going to be an uncle."

Eclipso blinks before he raises a brow. "Were?" He asks suspiciously.

"Oh, you didn't know? Cresselia was pregnant with Darkrai's twins and was expecting…" Terotrey then chuckles mockingly. Eclipso looks surprised before he realizes that Terotrey must have done something. "What did you do?" He demands.

Terotrey smirks and turns to the phantom. He examines his fingers casually. "Let's just say that Crystal is crying over guilt for not saving them…"

The vision of Crystal being sad infuriates Eclipso and his eyes flash dangerously. "YOU MONSTER!" He shrieks. Without really thinking about it, he summons a Dark Pulse in his palm and aims it at the scientist. However, the scientist quickly reacts and grabs Eclipso's wrist. He pulls the phantom over to him and holds him tightly against his chest as he forces Eclipso to look at the machine. Eclipso pauses when he sees a huddled figure inside the machine. What on Earth is that?

"Do you know why you're here?" Terotrey whispers against Eclipso. "I brought you here to join your friends on their same fates."

"Where are they?" Eclipso demands. Suddenly Terotrey pulls away and walks up to a switch on the machine. Suddenly the electricity dims and Eclipso could see the figure in the container better. However, he gasps and falls back from horror and disbelief.

In the container, Saberspark rests as discomfort is sketched on his face. But what horrify Eclipso are the cannons implanted on the tiger's back, the new silver claws and fangs, and the new robotic left eye. Dry blood is stained on the tiger's orange fur.

Terotrey smirks as he watches Eclipso gasping in disbelief. Then he presses two red buttons and the compartment opens. At once, Saberspark's eyes open and red eyes stare maliciously at the phantom. He snarls as he stands beside the scientist. "Eclipso, say hello to Saberpulse."

Eclipso backs away and shakes his head in disbelief. Suddenly realization hits him and he knows what Terotrey is going to do to him. Before he could flee, Saberspark roars and lunges forward. He pins the struggling phantom down and ignores his cries and pleads. Terotrey smirks as he walks over to Eclipso and gestures Saberspark to carry him. The tiger bites the phantom's neck and drags him over to the medical lab. Eclipso cries out in pain and tries to get away until the duo successfully strap him down against a medical bed. Eclipso struggles harder as tears begin to brim his eyes. But when Terotrey pulls out a large bloodstained chainsaw, Eclipso screams even louder and struggles as his blood turns cold.

Terotrey casually fingers the chainsaw as he smirks at Eclipso. "Don't worry, Eclipso. You'll see your dear Crystalline again very soon…"

Anyone that is outside of the building could hear a chainsaw whirring and ungodly screams echoing. In another part of the building, Blackfire shamefully turns her head away as she blocks out the cries of agony.

-ooo-

"Straight below us, dudes!"

Jeff points below the cliff at the clouds while the heroes stare. The morning breeze blows through them as they look for any signs of the approaching allies. Everyone but Crystal is looking for the newcomers.

Crystal stands aside and thinks about Darkrai and Cresselia. They are still resting in the medical lab after their loss and Crystal has permitted them to stay until they prepare for battle. Based on what Crystal has found out last night, they will need some more time to calm down.

Terotrey wasn't the main cause of the twins' deaths. At least for the most part…

Darkrai and Cresselia's Legendary essences killed the twins…

Crystal remembers the discovery and the parents' reaction very well.

-ooo-

_Crystal has spent most of the night cleaning up the twins' bodies. She thought that Darkrai and Cresselia would like to have a private funeral for their children and Crystal decided to clean the twins up a bit before she places them in wooden boxes. But while she was cleaning the bodies, Crystal notices something. Crystal could sense powerful auras within the bodies and she realizes that Darkrai and Cresselia's essences are lingering around the children's hearts almost possessively. Suddenly it hits Crystal; powerful auras are dangerous for children and they can easily kill them. It isn't just Terotrey that killed the twins; the parents' essences have taken up most of their energy and stressed the babies enough to kill them._

_This means that Cresselia and Darkrai can mate all they want, but the chances of reproducing are slim. Their auras are just too powerful for any embryo to handle._

_Crystal is horrified and feels sympathetic. She has to tell Darkrai and Cresselia; they need to know. With a very reluctant heart, Crystal carries the wooden box with the corpses and walks towards the medical room. She is quiet since the other Pokémon are asleep at this time and makes it at the door. She leans her head against the door and hears Darkrai and Cresselia talking softly with each other. Crystal inhales deeply before she knocks the door gently. After Darkrai tells her to come in, Crystal opens the door and enters the room quietly._

_Crystal sees the lovers resting on the bed together. Darkrai is running his hand through Cresselia's head soothingly while Cresselia nuzzles her face against the chest. They look up as soon as Crystal enters and nod at her to come closer. Crystal could sense their anguish and feels guilty. She sighs as she pulls up a chair and sits next to the bed. She places the box onto her lap as she looks carefully at the parents. This will not be easy._

"_Guys, there's something important that I need to tell you. It's about the twins."_

_The lovers sit up and listen carefully. Crystal sees the tearstains on Cresselia's cheeks and clears her throat when she realizes that it's dry._

"_Terotrey was not the main cause of the miscarriage. While I was cleaning the bodies, I noticed something off. There was another stress factor that killed them. I sensed Legendary essences within the bodies. Your own Legendary essences caused the miscarriage; the auras are too powerful for any embryo to handle. The essences were already stressing the babies until Terotrey made the last hit. You can become pregnant again but the essences will only stress the babies badly to death. There is nothing that can I can do to help the situation. I'm really sorry, guys…"_

_There is silence before Crystal finds herself out of the room several seconds later. She stares at the door and notices bruises and cuts on her body. Suddenly Cresselia's cries erupt behind the closed door and Crystal sighs. She probably just worsened their depression…_

_Without another word, Crystal decides to leave the lovers alone for the rest of the night and probably for the rest of the next day. Guilt plagues her heart as she falls into a fitful sleep._

-ooo-

"Cryssy? You OK?"

Crystal blinks and looks at Laki's worried look. She nods. "Yeah, I'm just thinking about Darkrai and Cresselia." Laki nods. "Yea. Those poor dears…"

Earlier that morning, Crystal had told everyone about her discovery and the Pokémon have agreed to leave the parents alone and never brought the topic up. Meanwhile, several Pokémon are in the valley assorting different armor and weapons as they wait for their leaders to let in the new army.

"I'm telling you! They're down there!" Jeff yells. Mewtwo groans. "There are only clouds, Jeff. You're probably just seeing things." He mutters irritably.

"I am not!" Jeff protests as he crosses his arms. Then the duo begin to argue. Annoyed, Crystal comes between them. "Enough. Ribo and I will go down there and see if anyone is around. Sound fair?"

Jeff's annoyance fades as he grins and nods. Mewtwo rolls his eyes at him.

"Ribo?" Crystal looks at Ribo. The psychic nods and floats up as he waits for Crystal. The lizard's blades glow as she flaps them and flies beside her friend. She glances back at her friends. "We'll be right back!" She calls. Then Crystal and Ribo plummet down through the clouds. The thrill of falling strikes the duo until the clouds clear up and they can see the meadow below them. But they stop and hide in the clouds as they stare in awe. When her soldiers said that they had armies that were already ready for combat, they weren't joking.

Thousands of armored Pokémon are waiting below the valley. Some look bored while others seem nervous and confused. Even the best human trainers were there; Crystal assumes that some of her soldiers got to their Pokémon and the trained Pokémon got to the other trainer's Pokémon and so on. Even Team Rocket is here. Their leader is at the front with his Persian and he looks unimpressed.

"Damn…" Crystal murmurs. But when she realizes that the press is here, she is displeased but relaxes. Hopefully everyone, including the Legendaries, would be watching the broadcast and would listen to her news. Then they could come here and prepare for battle.

Ribo and Crystal glance at each other before they activate their translator collars. Then they make birdcalls as they fly down to a large boulder. The army looks up in alarm but the allies raise their brows when they see the duo landing on a cliff that is tall enough to overlook the army. Several of the humans take out their Pokéballs cautiously while the newscast begins to record everything on live.

-ooo-

As they wait, Gallade decides to turn on his watch to activate a holographic TV program. He adjusts the link and receives nothing until the news comes on. To his surprise, it is an emergency broadcast that is displaying an army full of Pokémon and the best trainers.

"Guys! Check this out! There's a newscast that's broadcasting an army that's directly below us!" Gallade says. The heroes gather around the warrior and look at the screen. Raikou growls when he sees Giovanni. "Giovanni! What's he doing here?"

Suddenly the reporter is interrupted when birdcalls erupt. The screen changes and looks up at the sky. The heroes watch as two figures land on a boulder and realize who the beings are.

"That's Crystal and Laki!" Ash points at the screen. Violet rolls her eyes at him. "Really?"

"Hush!" Laki orders as she leans against Gallade's shoulder. "Turn it up. I can barely hear what they're saying."

-ooo-

Crystal and Ribo stare at the Pokémon carefully. To their relief, the armor and weapons were suitable enough for battle. But only the Pokémon know what's going on; the humans followed them to see why they were behaving so strangely. Crystal exchanges a glance with Ribo and the psychic nods reassuringly to her.

Suddenly a Nidoking steps up. He narrows his eyes as he stares at the duo carefully and points at them. "Which one of you is the one who called to us?" Since the humans couldn't understand the Pokémon language, they look curious.

Crystal steps up at once. "I am. My name is Crystalline."

Several of the humans gasp. Immediately the reports push through the crowd and begin to interrogate the Grovyle. They ask Crystal about how she can speak and what is going on. Only Team Rocket and the Elite Four raise their brows while the Pokémon look bewildered. The flashes and questions go on until Ribo loses his patience.

"OY!" He bellows. Everyone turns silent as they look at him with wide eyes. Ribo has his hands held up and his eyes narrow as he glares at the soldiers. "It seems that we will need to make a few rules. First of all, if any of you have a question, then raise your hand and wait until Crystal calls on you. Secondly, enough with the flashing cameras; being broadcasted is enough and we are not celebrities! And to answer your questions. Yes, we can talk because we have collars that translate all languages, including Pokémon language. Yes, we are responsible for gathering all the Pokémon here. And yes, we will explain why we have summoned you in just a moment. So please just shut up and listen!"

Everyone is silent as Ribo smiles at Crystal. Crystal returns the smile. "Thanks, Ribo." Then she looks at the army. "Everyone, I have gathered you here for a reason. My name is Crystal. I am the leader of a Pokémon army that is trying to stop a new threat from destroying our world. I have sent my soldiers out worldwide to gather any assisting Pokémon that would help us fight against this threat. I will take your questions now…"

Soon Crystal could see several hands up. She decides to answer the humans first since they probably have more important questions. She points at a random reporter. "What do you mean there is a threat that would destroy our world? What is this threat?"

Crystal answers those questions with one answer. "A man named Terotrey Horrifiance."

Then Crystal begins to explain about everything that she knows about the mad scientist. She explains about Terotrey's defenses and how Terotrey has transformed several innocent Pokémon into mindless robots. She explains about how badly Terotrey has affected several lives (including her own) for his personal gain. Crystal explains that Terotrey has taken Blackfire and the exiles hostage and plans to use them to fulfill his goal (she decides to keep quiet about her relationship with Blackfire since it would only bring up more skeptics). The humans are surprised to know that there were more Legendaries but Crystal refuses to answer questions regarding them as she carries on with her story. Then she explains about Terotrey's plan to destroy Mt. Coronet. When she finishes, the humans and Pokémon were full of disbelief. Team Rocket still looks quite shocked to hear that their old boss is alive. Giovanni looks positively livid.

"That is ridiculous!" A pompous Blastoise exclaims. "A man that is willing to destroy this world for all the evil that it has witnessed? Not only is that hypocritical, but it is outrageous! Besides, why haven't we heard of him if you claim that he is so evil?"

Several Pokémon nod in agreement. Crystal sighs; she knew that there would be skeptics. "If you don't believe me, then I will summon down a few Legendaries and let them tell you about him themselves." Then Crystal looks up at the sky and makes a thrilling noise.

-ooo-

"Those idiots!" Rocky cries. "Can't they see that their lives are at stake?"

"Cryssy needs us," Laki says urgently. Then she turns to Scalene. "Scalene, put down the stairs."

Scalene nods and presses a red button on her watch. Suddenly the island begins to shake and the Pokémon kneel down to regain their balance. To the heroes' amazement, they see a flight of stairs coming out of the island and heading down towards the Earth.

-ooo-

Suddenly an earthquake erupts and the Pokémon scream when they see a large mass of land aiming straight towards them. They move out of the way and stare as it impacts the ground. Crystal and Ribo float on top of the landmass and everyone realizes that it is a flight of stairs that leads up to the clouds. Suddenly various animal noises are made as the heroes run down the stairs and stand beside Crystal and Ribo. The newcomers gasp when they see the Legendaries and start murmuring amongst themselves.

-ooo-

"Hey! The twerp is on TV! And he's riding a Legendary!" Meowth cries as he points at the TV. The trio were resting at an Inn while Jessie was tending to James' wound on his neck.

"What?" The humans sit next to Meowth and watch the TV intently.

-ooo-

"Guys, look!" Rayquaza points at the plasma screen TV in front of him. He was watching _Cloverfield_ when suddenly the broadcast interrupts his favorite movie. Rayquaza scowls at his luck until he sees Ash and Raikou. The duo are frowning at the screen. "Raikou is on TV!"

At the other side of the Hall of Legends, the Legendaries were resting at their pedestals until Rayquaza calls to them. Arceus raises his brow as they look at the screen. To everyone's surprise, Raikou and his allies are on TV with a black and white Grovyle. Suddenly Palkia gasps. "There's Latias!"

"What's going on?" Mew asks uneasily. Then the Legendaries gather around the TV and listen intently.

-ooo-

"MAY! PROFESSOR OAK! MISTY! COME OVER HERE, QUICK!" Mrs. Ketchum yells as she covers her mouth in surprise and shock. Her son is on TV and is standing right next to Legendaries. The humans rush out of the kitchen with worried looks on their faces.

"What is it, Mrs. Ketchum?" Professor Oak asks. The woman points at the TV and the humans' eyes widen. "Ash?" Misty cries as she stares closely.

"He's with the Legendaries? What's going on over there?" Professor Oak asks in confusion. Max shushes everyone as he uses the remote to turn the volume up. "Shh! I wanna hear what's going on."

The humans say nothing as they rest on the armchairs and couches and listen intently to the broadcast.

-ooo-

The humans and Pokémon gasp and murmur amongst themselves while Ash jumps off Raikou's back. He steps up. "Listen to what Crystal says! She's telling the truth!"

"We will need everyone's help with this fight! We cannot take on Terotrey and his army of robots alone!" Raikou adds. The humans look a bit nerved when they realize that he could talk but continue to murmur amongst themselves.

"Raikou!" Suddenly Atsila and Bouldarin rush through the crowd and climb up the boulder to face the thunder tiger. Flame is right behind his father and looks curiously at Scalene. Raikou grins as he hugs the tribe leaders. "Guys! Thank Arceus that you're here! I could really use your help again!"

"Of course we're here!" Bouldarin snaps. "When we heard that the Grovyle's soldiers are recruiting Pokémon to stop Terotrey, we followed them and sensed that they might be working for you too!"

Scalene and Rocky couldn't stop staring at the tribe leaders. When the duo take notice of them, they freeze and stare. Scalene and Rocky step up uncertainly.

"Atsila? Flame?"

"Dad?"

"Scalene?" Atsila stares carefully at the robotic Charizard.

"Mom?" Flame gapes at Scalene.

"… Rocky?" Bouldarin looks up at the slightly taller Rhyperior uncertainly.

The other Pokémon are silent as they stare at the reunited families. Suddenly Scalene lets out a cry and hugs Atsila and Flame tightly. The fire lizards are stunned before the scent of lavender erupts from the Charizard and they hug her back tightly. She's alive. So wonderfully alive… Rocky laughs as he hugs his bewildered father and hoists him off his feet.

"Those are robots!" Giovanni suddenly shouts. The Pokémon turn to him. "Those are the same exact robots that Terotrey has made!"

The human murmur amongst themselves until a reporter asks, "How do you know that?" Suddenly Giovanni looks uncomfortable. "Well… Erm…"

"Giovanni had an encounter with Terotrey himself." Crystal responds coolly. Everyone looks at her. "About a month ago, Terotrey has tried to strike a deal with Giovanni to work with him…"

"That's enough out of you!" Giovanni snaps as he points at Crystal. "How do you even know about that?"

"Telepathy, remember?" Crystal smirks. Giovanni snarls as he reaches into his pocket. "Telepath or not, it is not your business to know about my personal life! Terotrey and I had a bargain so he could study about the Legendaries!"

"Oh yes! And it also led him into giving you a coma and taking over Team Rocket!" Violet taunts as she crosses her arms. Suddenly Giovanni looks furious as he takes out two Ultra Balls. "ENOUGH!"

He throws the balls at the heroes. Several of the Pokémon back away in panic and alarm while Crystal and Violet are about to strike the balls down. Suddenly two gunshots are made and the balls shatter into tiny pieces. Everyone is silent as they stare at the empty space before they turn to look at Zarko. Behind the heroes, the Lucario holds up his smoking pistols as he glares at the army. He blows the smoke and twirls the guns before he places them back into their sheathes on his belt. Then he speaks to everyone by using his telepathy.

"We're not here to start a war with each other," Zarko says coolly. He walks up beside Crystal and stares at the silent crowd. "We're here to ask everyone for their help to save the world. Anyone who is able to fight can come with us, but know that we will fight Terotrey and his robots at Mt. Coronet tonight. Cherish your last moments with your loved ones before you come up here…"

With that said, the Lucario turns and walks up the stairs and disappears behind the clouds. Everyone is silent as they stare at him before Crystal turns to the crowd. She looks a little shaken by Zarko's unexpected interference but she is grateful for it. She clears her throat.

"Well, I hope that this message will reach to everyone who is watching. We will need all the help that we can get. As Zarko has stated, if you have any tasks that you need to do, then you must do them before tonight. We will be spending most of the day armoring everyone at our base. There is a chance that most of us won't survive from this battle, so make your choice wisely…"

Crystal says nothing else as she turns away. The reporters start to ask questions but the heroes ignore them as they walk up the stairs. The Elite Four start to push away the reporters and make their way back home while Team Rocket decides to make their own preparations at their base. Several of the Pokémon hesitate before they follow the heroes up the stairs. Some trainers look unsure before they decide to go up as well.

-ooo-

The Legendaries are silent as they stare at the screen. Arceus raises his brow as he stares at Crystal and Zarko. They look remarkably like two old friends that he has known centuries ago… But one of them is dead. It's only coincidence that Crystal happens to look like his deceased friend… But Zarko has suddenly appeared out of nowhere. How did he survive through the last several centuries…?

Then Arceus realizes that Zarko has survived because he was one of Reshiram and Zekrom's top generals centuries ago. As such, they gave him immortality and special powers in order to stay strong and to continue protecting life.

But what about Crystal? How is she involved with Terotrey?

The God uses his powers to locate Crystal. He senses her aura but realizes that her mind is blocked. She's a telepath. Then Arceus notices the object on Crystal's chest and feels his blood turn cold. The Jewel of Life!

'_How did she come across that? I gave it to Blackfire before she-!'_

Suddenly realization hits Arceus. Blackfire has recently sent a prayer to him regarding their child. She has said that she would rather die than let their child be killed. And since Crystal said that the exiles are working for Terotrey, Arceus knows that they must have joined Terotrey for a logical reason.

They're working to protect his and Blackfire's child. But if his child is alive, then where is it?

Then Arceus wonders about how Crystal came across the Jewel of Life. Blackfire must have given it to her for some reason. But why trust an abnormally colored Grovyle with such a precious object?

When Crystal looks at the screen, Arceus looks at her gold eyes and is suddenly reminded of himself. Then it finally hits Arceus.

Her albino skin… Her gold eyes… Her concern for her unnamed mother… How Terotrey has forced her weakened family into working for him…

The family that Crystal was talking about is the exiles! Her mother is Blackfire! Does that mean that…

… Crystal is his daughter in a disguise?

Arceus feels his heart pounding as he stares at the Grovyle. The lizard is giving a speech about making last amendments before she and the others turn to walk up the stairs. Is it possible…?

Arceus suddenly stands up. "We must go," He orders while the Legendaries look up at him in bewilderment. "If what she says is true, then we must prepare for combat. We must meet up with Raikou and Crystal."

"But-" Rayquaza is about to protest but turns silent when Arceus gives him an icy glare. "The world is at stake. As Legendaries, we must make sure that this threat is real and do whatever it takes to protect life!" Arceus snaps. Then he opens the entrance doors and flies out of the Hall of Legends.

The Legendaries are silent as they glance at each other before they shrug and leave the room. They quickly fly/run out of their hidden base as they follow their God towards his destination. During their rush, they fail to see several cybertronic Pokémon watching them from behind large boulders.

-ooo-

Crystal is silent as she watches the Pokémon arrive at her valley. The heroes greet the newcomers on top of the stairs as they watch the various Pokémon being armored by the already prepared soldiers. Crystal stares at the valley as she thinks.

This could be it. This could be the battle that determines the fate of the world. Would the heroes win and ultimately defeat Terotrey? Or would Terotrey win and doom every living person that walks on the good green Earth? And to think that several families would lose their loved ones…

"Crystal!"

Crystal blinks and turns around. To her surprise, Darkrai and Cresselia float up to her and stop to catch their breaths. The dream Legendaries look a lot better than they did when Crystal checked up on them a few hours ago. In fact, the duo look determined and almost excited.

Cresselia finally straightens up and gives Crystal an apologetic smile. "Crystal, we're so sorry about lashing out on you last night. We were upset and we didn't think about how badly we hurt you."

Crystal shakes her head and smiles. "It's fine. Besides, I healed myself up afterwards. And you guys deserve to know the truth…" She smiles sadly.

The duo nod and Darkrai floats up to the lizard. "We watched the broadcast from the TV in the medical lab. It's a good thinking that you didn't tell anyone about yourself or us…"

"It's our business, not theirs." Crystal shrugs. "Besides, it would only bring up more questions and I had a hunch that the Legendaries might be watching the news from somewhere…"

Darkrai chuckles. "That may be true, but still…" The phantom hesitates before he pulls Crystal into a hug. The unexpected action startles the lizard. "Crystal, thanks for everything. I mean it."

Crystal is silent when she envisions Eclipso hugging her. But she brushes the though away. Now is not the time. She smiles as she returns the hug. "And thanks for everything…" Suddenly she smirks. "But I'm going to kick your ass during training for blurting my secret out to the others…"

"_If_ we get back to training…" Darkrai snorts. Crystal pauses and shrugs. "Touché." Cresselia smiles and shakes her head at the duo before she joins the hug.

"Crystal…"

Crystal breaks away from the hug and turns around. When she sees the owner of the voice, her heart stops.

Arceus.

The God floats in midair and stares at Crystal curiously. The heroes notice that all of the Legendaries are flying or walking down the stairs into the valley. Several stop to welcome Latias back; even Rayquaza seems happy to see her again. There is a hint of a blush on his cheeks as he gives the red dragon a hug.

Crystal stares at Arceus' orbs and is filled with wonder and awe. His aura is so welcoming it almost feels like that she is with her mother again…

Darkrai breaks the silence as he floats between the duo. "Arceus, this is Crystal. Crystal, this is Arceus." He knows that the introduction is pointless, but he just needed some excuse to break the awkward silence. Cresselia also senses the tension and decides to get the duo going. "Crystal, I think that we should tell the other Legendaries about our plan. We can work something out to make the battle work for our advantage."

Crystal snaps out of her awe and glances at Cresselia. She's thankful for the interruption and nods. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

"It does." Arceus is also relieved by the interruption and nods. Then he smiles at Crystal. "Let's go down to the valley and discuss about your plan, shall we?"

Crystal smiles and nods before she and Arceus lead the heroes and the other Legendaries down to the valley.

**Feedback, please!**


	16. Chapter 16: The Battle Part One

**Next chapter up! But note that some scenes are kinda based on Kung Fu Panda and New Moon. Sort of.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 16: The Battle Part One**

Down at the valley, the heroes and Legendaries gather up in a private group and talk with each other.

"I didn't say this to the press, but we know that the Hall of Legends is hidden at Mt. Coronet." Crystal murmurs as she looks at the Legendaries. "That's why Terotrey wants to destroy it. He wants to replace it with his own base."

The Legendaries look disturbed while Arceus just stares at Crystal. He hasn't taken his eyes off her since they met but no one seems to notice. Then Crystal picks up a long stick and makes a small sketch of mountains. She points at the base of the tallest mountain. "Terotrey is going to do something to take it down at the base. Knowing him, he would probably place bombs on the boulders that support the whole peak."

"Is he that crazy?" Dialga asks. Crystal gives him an amused smile. "He transformed innocent Pokémon into robots in order to get to you guys. How much crazier can he get?"

Silence. Then Dialga slowly nods and Crystal resumes her explanation. "But because the mountains have the densest rocks and the highest altitude, nothing can easily be tracked by radar. This is why no one truly knows every detail about the mountains. Nothing and no one can be tracked. Terotrey's robots cannot use lock-ons or sense any life forms there. Now that we have all the Legendaries on our side, we will have a higher chance to win this fight. We'll have the element of surprise."

The Legendaries look impressed by the Grovyle's resources and nod in approval.

"Not to sound like a worrywart, but where are those friends of yours?" Azelf asks curiously. Crystal smiles and winks. "Don't worry about them. They're checking out the different hiding spots that we can use at the mountains."

-ooo-

Meanwhile, six Pokémon check around the mountains to see if any robots are lurking around. They occasionally check on each other with their watches and have found a decent amount of good hiding spots. Scalene and Rocky decided to patrol together while Ribo and Violet work solo and Gallade and Laki work together. The four different groups are scattered around the mountains.

Gallade yawns as he stares at the mountains boredly. He leans against a boulder as he and Laki decide to rest for a bit. He glances beside him and watches Laki as she pulls a leg towards her chest. Her pink fur glistens under the sun and Gallade sighs as he gazes lovingly at her. He leans against his hand as he stares at her.

Laki was amazing in every way to Gallade. He is astounded that she can still smile after everything that she had gone through. Her battle movements are graceful and her color combo looks wonderful. Her scarlet eyes glisten brightly under the sun and seem to glow during the night. Gallade doesn't want to sound like a hopeless romantic, but he can't help it.

"G?" Laki's voice interrupts his thoughts. Gallade was so enthralled by his thoughts that he didn't realize that he has been staring. He snaps himself out of his daze and nods. "Yes?" He asks.

Laki twirls one of her locks before she bites her lip. She glances at Gallade. "Do you think that we will ever finish this war against Terotrey?"

Gallade blinks at the question. "Of course I do." Then he smiles teasingly. "You aren't displaying doubt, are you? Is the great Laki afraid of losing a fight?" He lets out a fake gasp of shock.

Laki chuckles before she turns serious. "I'm serious, though. What would happen if we do lose? We will lose people in this fight and I can't stand the thought of one of us being killed."

Gallade realizes that Laki is afraid of losing one of her closest friends. He gently takes one of her paws and holds it in both his hands. He kneels in front of Laki and smiles reassuringly. "Don't worry, Laki. Everything will turn out all right in the end. You'll see."

Laki blushes and shyly pulls away from Gallade's touch. Gallade looks amused. "What? I can't hold your hand?"

Laki snorts. "You can, but you probably would think of it in a different way. Like…" She trails off but Gallade knows better. "But what if I don't mind? What I _want_ it to think of it as a different way?" He suggests.

Laki looks shocked by his boldness. Then she quickly stands up and turns away. "Gallade, please don't do this…" She murmurs softly as she faces the cliff. She sighs as she runs a paw through her face.

Gallade looks a little hurt before he stands up and moves behind her. He leans against her year. "Why not?" He murmurs.

Laki suddenly turns to glare up at him. Then she looks sad. "Because you're going to ruin everything… And I need you…" She is silent before she sighs and turns to sit on the edge of the cliff. She places her face into her paws and sighs raggedly.

Gallade is silent as he stares at Laki's back. He sighs deeply as he sits beside her. "It's because of what he did, isn't it?"

Laki doesn't say anything as she looks out at the open mountains. Gallade grabs her chin and gently makes her look at him. Tears begin to brim Laki's vision as she stares at Gallade's kind sad eyes. "Laki, I know what X'ng did to you, but you know that I would never do that. I would never dream of hurting you in any way. I promise that I'll always be there for you. You can count on me."

Laki sniffles but doesn't say anything. Suddenly she leans her head against Gallade's shoulder and sighs deeply. Gallade smiles softly as he wraps an arm around Laki's shoulders and holds her close. He doesn't want this moment to end.

"Looks like nothing is here…" Violet says obnoxiously loudly as she approaches the duo. Laki quickly pulls away from Gallade and blushes as she looks up at Violet. Gallade looks greatly annoyed as he glares at Violet for the interruption. Violet notices the duo's closeness and realizes that she has interrupted a tender moment. When she sees Gallade's angry glare, she smiles sheepishly.

"What's up, homies?" Rocky asks as he approaches the trio with Ribo and Scalene behind him. He is about to say something when a black blast shoots past the group and destroys a nearby boulder. The Pokémon yell as they are blown back from the force. They quickly jump up to their feet and prepare to attack when they notice robots surrounding them. After several minutes, most of the robots are taken down. The Pokémon pant in exhaustion from using their affinities too much. They hold up their watches and are about to summon a portal until several blasts hit the machines. The impacts didn't completely destroy the watches but they did enough damage to make them useless.

Rocky whines as he holds up his glitching watch. "Aw, man! I just fixed that last night!" Then he narrows his eyes angrily as he glares up at the shooter. "That's it! No more Mr. Nice Guy! Who shot my-"

Suddenly Rocky turns silent as he stares at the approaching shooters. He pales while the other Pokémon gasp in disbelief and horror.

Before them are the exiled Legendaries. But what horrifies the Pokémon are that they have been transformed into robots. Several of them have dried blood on their bodies. Saberspark has cannons installed onto his back and his left eye is replaced with a cybertronic red eye. His fangs and claws are replaced by silver blades. Eclipso's scarf is taken off so the Pokémon could see his sharp fangs. Small cannons are implanted onto his waist. His hair is gone and now he has a cybertronic dome covering up most of his cranium.

"Eclipso? Saberspark?"

"_**Not anymore, fools…"**_ Eclipso's voice sounds different but the Pokémon recognize it.

"Terotrey?" Laki accuses. She glares furiously at the possessed exile. "What have you done?"

"_**This is nothing…"**_ Eclipso smirks. _**"As you can see, I am fully connected to the exiled Legendaries. They are under my full control. But I won't bore you with the details. I must admit that Crystal has taught you about the affinity use well…"**_

Suddenly Eclipso holds out his hand and shoots a black blast at Rocky. The impact flows around the Rhyperior's chest and Rocky gasps for breath as he falls down. Then he faints. The Pokémon gasp and back away. Eclipso smirks and cracks his knuckles while Saberspark steps forward menacingly.

"_**But she didn't teach you everything,"**_ Eclipso sneers before he and the other exiles strike the Pokémon down.

-ooo-

Back in the Garden of Eden, the heroes have recruited several Pokémon into their army. Ash is surprised when his mother and other friends arrive and try to take him away. But thanks to Crystal's charisma, she managed to make them let him stay. She suggests that Ash should make some last amendments with his family and Pokémon before her soldiers armor him up for battle.

While Ash is away spending time with his allies, Crystal and the Legendaries decide to put on their armors later as they wait for Crystal's friends to return. Crystal grows worried when three hours passes by and her friends don't respond to her calls. She fiddles with the machine irritably and grumbles under her breath. Raikou paces back and forth worriedly nearby the lake as the Pokémon wait impatiently.

"Where could they be?" he asks. Suicune sits up and places a paw over Raikou's soothingly.

"I'm sure that they're fine, Raikou." She smiles. "They probably got caught up with something. They might be coming back here right now."

"They better hurry," Darkrai mutters as he glances up at the sky. "It's getting dark and we need to get ready soon."

Suddenly a portal appears beside the heroes and Crystal's friends jump out. However, only Ribo and Violet are up and they look incredibly tired and distressed. The other Pokémon are still and unconscious. All six Pokémons' bodies are twisted awkwardly and they have several cuts and bruises on their bodies. The heroes gasp at the terrible sight. Raikou, Darkrai, Atsila, and Bouldarin rush up to inspect them worriedly while Crystal only stares in shock and disbelief.

"They're dead!" Jeff panics. Skyler looks carefully and notice that the Pokémons' chests are moving. "No, they're still breathing…"

Atsila and Bouldarin inspect Scalene and Rocky. The duo look worried and look at Crystal for help. The Grovyle then walks up to her fallen friends.

"We were no match… For Terotrey's nerve attacks…" Violet groans as she rubs her legs tiredly. Ribo grimaces as Deoxys places her hand on the cut on his chest. It has reopened and it is bleeding badly.

Crystal looks uneasy as she begins to fix the nerves on Gallade's chest with her fingers. "He has gotten stronger and smarter…" She muses as Gallade sits up and gasps for air.

"Terotrey? Stronger and smarter?" Darkrai asks as he inspects Rocky. Crystal moves over to the Rhyperior and does the same finger movements on Rocky's chest. When she finishes, Rocky strikes out and punches Darkrai's face. Darkrai yells out in pain and floats away with his face in his hands. Rocky sits up and glances apologetically at the Rhyperior. "Sorry, Darkrai."

Then Crystal kneels by Laki and pinches some nerve points on her neck and wrists. Laki gasps before she looks up at Crystal tiredly. "We didn't know that he could beat us, Crys…"

"He could have killed you," Crystal mutters as she kneels by Scalene. "Why didn't he?" Atsila asks as he moves aside to let Crystal works. Crystal twists Scalene's neck and wrists before Scalene lets out a tired sigh. "He believes that sending my best warriors back here would strike unease and fear into our hearts, but it won't work. Not under my watch."

Then the psychic Legendaries gather around and use their powers to heal the six Pokémon. As soon as the Pokémon are healed up, they sigh in relief and stretch before they remember something. Laki gazes up at Crystal worriedly. "Cryssy, Terotrey has gone too far this time. You have no idea of what we are going up against."

"What could be worse than facing an invincible dragon and an army of cybertronic Pokémon?" Raikou asks uneasily. Violet glares at him. "How about facing cybertronic exiled Legendaries?"

There is silence as everyone stares at Violet. Crystal looks stunned before she looks skeptical and almost angry. "What are you talking about?" She demands.

"Terotrey has transformed all of the exiles into robots. He has all of them except Blackfire under his control. He made them attack us!" Ribo says. He looks sympathetic when Crystal has an uneasy defiant look on her face. "That can't be true… Eclipso would never…"

Laki groans as she stands up. Then she places a comforting hand on Crystal's shoulder. "Crystal, we're sorry but it's true. Terotrey is going to use the exiles on us. We will have to either kill the exiles or find a way to free them from his control. But the chances of us freeing them is very slim and we have very little time…"

Crystal is silent as she stares at the ground sadly. The Legendaries begin to murmur amongst themselves. "Great, now we're facing the exiles as well?" Heatran grumbles. "What can we do?"

"We must prepare for battle," Arceus suddenly says. Everyone looks at him. "We cannot let this discovery change our plans. If we are lucky, then maybe we can persuade the exiles out of Terotrey's control. But we cannot avoid this fight no matter what trick Terotrey pulls on us. We must go on."

The heroes are silent as they reluctantly nod. Arceus nods as well. "Good. Now that everyone is here, we can all put our armor on. Let's move."

The Pokémon begin to walk towards the cave. Several soldiers notice this and follow them. But before Crystal and Arceus enter the cave, Arceus stops. "Crystal, may I have a word with you?"

Crystal blinks before she nods. Arceus smiles and leads the Grovyle to a private spot nearby her secret base. Arceus stops by the large boulder and turns to face the suddenly nervous lizard. Several curious Pokémon stare at them before they return to their business.

"I know that you are the daughter of Blackfire." Arceus says so casually that it was a statement. Crystal looks stunned as she stares up at him. He smiles as he points at the Jewel of Life on her chest. "I have given that orb to Blackfire before she was exiled from the Legendary Council. I know that she would trust you with it for some reason and she has sent a prayer to me regarding her child. At the press conference, you said that you were concerned for your family's safety with Terotrey, especially your mother. I realized that the family you speak of are the exiles and that Blackfire must be your mother."

Crystal is silent. Then she sighs. "Was it that easy to figure out?"

"If it were someone else, no. But I know Blackfire too well to let the clues slip. Besides, based on what I have seen you do, I know that you must be Blackfire's daughter. You have her spirit, intelligence, and determination. You even have her ability to command obedience; you have a way to make everyone listen to you."

Crystal says nothing as she gazes up at him. Arceus then gets on to his point. "But since time is short, I must get to the point. Has Blackfire told you about who your father is?"

Crystal flinches. Lying to the God isn't exactly a good thing, but she cannot let him know about her for safety purposes. Then she realizes that she could twist words around. After all, it was technically Darkrai who told her about her relationship with Arceus. Blackfire has said nothing to her. "No, Sir. She hasn't."

Somewhat disappointed, Arceus nods. "I see… It seems that she has kept it to protect you from trouble. She hasn't changed a bit when I last saw her."

Crystal looks up and pretends to look curious. "She and I were very close before I exiled her. In fact, she and I were-"

"Mates." Crystal finishes. Arceus looks surprised and Crystal quickly straightens up. "When I was younger, she used to tell me stories about her adventures as a Legendary. She mentioned about you a lot. But it was a few years later when I realized that you two were mates."

"Then you understand why she was exiled?" Arceus asks softly. Crystal nods and looks somewhat guilty. "Because she was pregnant with me… I know that it's forbidden for Legendaries to reproduce…"

"And at that time I thought she was with another man… I was wrong…" Arceus muses aloud. Crystal snaps her head up and looks at Arceus curiously. What does he mean by that?

Suddenly Arceus realizes how his statement had sounded and clears his throat. "But the real punishment was death. Based on what happened, it could have been a lot worse…"

Crystal nods slowly as she stares carefully up at him. "Yes, it could have gotten worse…"

"Crystal!"

The lizard blinks and turns to look at the cave. Laki and Violet are waving at her excitedly but the phantom looks impatient. "Come on! We need to armor you up!"

Crystal waves her hand to the girls. "I'll be right there!" Then she looks at Arceus. "I'm sorry, Sir. I need to…"

Arceus nods and smiles. "I understand. You and I must get ready for the battle. But before you go, I must ask one last thing." He leans his head closely to Crystal and nudges the orb onto her chest. Crystal grunts from the pressure. "Do you know what this really is?"

Crystal nods. "The Jewel of Life. It carries a part of your soul inside it." She forces herself to smile up at Arceus. "Don't worry, Sir. I promised my mother that I would protect it with my life. It seems to have chosen me as its guardian."

"And do you know why it has chosen you?" Arceus asks softly. Crystal pauses and stares at him. "Because a part of your soul is already inside that orb. It has always been a part of you even before you were born…"

Then Arceus smirks as Crystal slowly blinks. He stands up and begins to walk towards the cave until Crystal calls out to him. Her voice cracks and sounds uneasy. "Arceus, I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean!"

Arceus stops and cranes his neck to look back at Crystal's dumbfounded look. His eyes sparkle mischievously as he winks at her. "My dear child, I think you know exactly what I mean…"

Without another word, Arceus turns and walks towards the cave entrance. Crystal only stares at his back with a look of wonder, bafflement, curiosity, and unease.

Does he know…?

**Feedback, please!**


	17. Chapter 17: The Battle Part Two

**Next chapter up! Almost there. Zarko belongs to Airman0007.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 17: The Battle Part Two**

Violet and Laki forcefully drag Crystal through the cave tunnels towards the medical laboratory. Crystal doesn't even protest since her thoughts are on Arceus. He knows about her and he accepts it?

As soon as the girls enter the nursery, they pick up the scattered armor from the beds and put them on Crystal. Crystal is silent as she lets Violet and Laki armor her up. Violet places sharp shoulder blades and a strong slim chestplate on Crystal while Laki places armor plates on her feet, legs, and arms.

Violet finally takes note of Crystal's silence. She shakes the lizard's shoulders rather roughly. "Hey, Crys. Where's your head at? What's bugging ya?"

"Hmm?" Crystal blinks and looks at Violet quizzically. The phantom groans. "Focus. I know that something is bugging you. So speak up." She narrows her eyes at Crystal while Laki stops and stares at the lizard worriedly.

Crystal shrugs. "It's just… It's just that I have a funny hunch about Arceus when he and I talked."

Violet snorts. "I wonder why… Isn't it because he's your father?"

"That's basically it. I think he _knows_ that he's my father."

Violet and Laki pause and glance at each other uneasily. "What makes you think that?" Violet asks softly.

"He told me that he knows that I'm Blackfire's daughter," Crystal noted. "He put in clues since he knows Mom so well. He told me that the Jewel of Life has chosen me as its guardian because a part of my soul is already inside it. He was implying that his blood runs through it and that mine does as well. When I asked him what he meant, he just said that I know what he means."

Violet looks stunned. "Well, damn."

Laki finally gets over her shock and smiles at Crystal. "I wouldn't worry about it. If Arceus knows, then he'll watch over your back during the battle like all good parents do."

"Enough of this chit-chat. We still need to get ourselves ready and we're almost done with you. So let's get going." Violet says. Then she begins to place more armor on Crystal. Laki and Crystal slowly nod and the girls get right to work.

-ooo-

"Honestly, is this really necessary?" Raikou ask as he looks at himself. He has armor on his waist and legs and a small helm placed on his upper face. He feels ridiculous for wearing the unnecessary protection.

An already armored Rhyhorn pats Raikou's shoulder as he finishes strapping armor onto the tiger's left leg. "Legendary Raikou, I assure you that these will be live-savers. You'll thank them later."

"You sure that I'm not overdressed?" Raikou asks uncertainly.

"You're just as overdressed as my ears are."

Raikou furrows his eyes. "… But you don't have any ears."

The Rhyhorn snorts. "Exactly. So stop complaining and just relax. Everything will be all right."

Raikou frowns before he shakes his head and sighs. Then he looks out at the valley and watches everyone putting on their armor. Everyone that has left to make their last amendments are now back and are putting on their own armor while the humans install their guns or aircraft equipment. Team Rocket is already set to go and is waiting at the stairs. Nobody pays any attention to the organization as they focus on their own tasks.

The Legendaries don't look particularly happy about wearing the armor but they wear them when Arceus insists that it would probably help them. Raikou's friends, however, put up a fight when the soldiers forcefully put on their armor.

"Dude! Watch the petals!" Jeff protests as two Ursaring put armor around his tiny arms and legs. It was difficult considering how small the Roselia was but at least the armor was easy enough to put on. Skyler didn't seem too annoyed when his armor is put on. He looks determined as he waits for the other heroes to finish getting ready.

Mewtwo initially refused to wear armor due to what happened the last time he put protective gear on. Deoxys rolls her eyes at him. "Mewtwo, this isn't Giovanni's armor. You don't need to worry about it controlling your powers…" Mewtwo only grumbles while Deoxys forcefully puts the armor on him.

Ash had a hard time moving around in his armor. The silver shields are strapped onto his arms and legs so bending is a little difficult. He has a large chestplate that is strapped tightly around him. The black leather long-sleeved shirt and pants make the human sweat. Ash's Pokémon are also putting on their armor; they refuse to let their master go into the battle alone and are determined to win the fight.

Soon everyone finishes putting on their armor. Right at that moment, Crystal and her friends walk out of the caves and the army looks at them. Like most Pokémon, they have armors on their arms, legs, and chests. But they have strange designs on their armor that represent their affinities. It makes them stand out from the army, somewhat.

"Are you ready?" Arceus asks as he floats up to the Pokémon. Crystal looks at the God's eyes under his armor mask and nods. "More than I'll ever be, I guess…" Crystal nods. Then she looks at her friends and they nod to her before they scatter around the valley. They inform the soldiers that it is time to go and to quickly finish up their tasks. Several Pokémon take the opportunity to say their last goodbyes to their loved ones.

Ash had a hard time pulling away from his mother until Professor Oak and Brock hold her back. Laki has a very tender moment with her children as she whispers soothingly to them in Spanish. Darkrai hugs Cresselia and kisses her lips softly while Raikou, Suicune, and Entei nuzzle against each other in a familial hug. Counterparts share their last words with each other and Crystal frowns when she realizes something.

"Wait a moment… Where are Latias and Rayquaza?"

Arceus blinks and is about to respond when he sees the two dragons flying down from the cliffs. But to his and Crystal's surprise, Rayquaza and Latias are holding hands as they say their farewells to the other Legendaries. Then Crystal and Arceus smile knowingly.

Soon the duo begin to walk through the crowd. Everyone finally makes it out of the valley except for her close allies and the Legendaries. Crystal takes the moment to look at her close allies and smiles softly. Such a tender moment with all their loved ones. How she would cherish to have that moment with her mother and the exiles…

While Arceus talks with some of the Legendaries, Raikou runs up to Crystal and smiles. "Hi. Nice armor."

"Thanks. You too…"

The duo are silent while they look up at the night sky. The moon shines brightly while the stars twinkle behind eerie clouds. "A lot has happened…" He muses softly. Crystal nods in agreement. "Yes, I remember the first day that we met… It seems that time has gone by so quickly…"

Then she looks at Raikou. "You scared?"

Raikou raises his brow at Crystal. When he sees the sincerity in her eyes, his gaze softens and he repeats the question back to her. Crystal shrugs even though she is honestly afraid.

"I think that we all are…" Zarko says. The Pokémon turn to him. To their surprise, he isn't wearing any armor. All he has is his black cloak and his belt with his dagger and pistols. The Lucario narrows his eyes at the duo. "It is natural to fear death, but we cannot avoid it altogether. If this is our fate, then we shall die knowing that we have fought for a noble cause… It's OK to be afraid…"

Crystal and Raikou nod and the trio look at the army again. After a while, Crystal sneaks away and walks towards her old base. She activates the panel and types in the code before she walks inside. She leaves the door open as she looks at the room. Then she walks over to the couch and fingers it softly. She could still remember the times that whenever she was young, she would come here to hide away from all her troubles. This was the only place that she truly felt safe at.

But then Crystal thinks about Blackfire. Other than her secret base, Blackfire is the only person that she feels safe and at home around. Although Blackfire has committed many mistakes, Crystal is grateful for her faith, support, and love. She greatly hopes that she would free her mother from this battle. Then she remembers something that Blackfire has told her. She said that if there was ever a time when things are about to turn ugly, then she would pray to Reshiram and Zekrom for help.

Crystal decides to give it a try. She closes her eyes and kneels beside the couch as she rests her joined hands on the couch. "Merciful Alpha and Omega, I am in desperate need of your wisdom and guidance for my people. Look at what Terotrey has done to my allies; he has caused so much pain and suffering and we must stop him. He will surely destroy everything that you have worked hard to achieve. Please deliver us all safely from this battle and I will pay you with a lifetime of servitude. If you should decide that any life must be taken, then let it be my life. All of my soldiers have worked hard to save their futures, but we are hopelessly outnumbered. Please, we need some help…"

Crystal lets out a choked sigh as she lowers her head against her joined hands. Then she feels a paw on her shoulder but she doesn't move.

"The great Alpha and Omega do not take sides, Crystal," Cresselia murmurs. Crystal stands up and turns to see Cresselia, Darkrai, Raikou, and Ash. They all hold soft looks on their faces. "They protect only the balance of life…"

Crystal says nothing as she stares at her friends. Then she shrugs. "Well, it was worth a try…"

The Pokémon nod in understanding and leave the cave. Crystal leaves last and takes the moment to stare at her childhood sanctuary. After a few moments, she leaves the cave and seals the exit shut. She walks with her allies towards the Legendaries and thinks about the facts.

In only a few minutes, everyone would be fighting for their future on Mt. Coronet.

Crystal smiles weakly as she looks at everyone. She is proud of them for their determination and bravery. When she sees Darkrai and Cresselia exchanging one last kiss, her thoughts turn to Eclipso and she realizes that she might be harboring feelings for her closest guardian. Then she notices Scalene and Rocky saying their farewells to Flame, Atsila, and Bouldarin. Laki hugs her children one last time before they are taken away by a couple of Chansey. Crystal instantly thinks about the exiles and her mother. She remembers how supportive and loving they had been when they have raised her together.

Zarko is right; everyone has the right to be scared. There is a chance that they would be separated by their loved ones but they are willing to fight for their futures. They are so strong and brave… It is their determination that makes them heroes.

Crystal has no regrets regardless of everything that has happened to her. She has forgiven herself for all of her mistakes and she is going to make up for them. She looks up at Arceus and the God smiles down at her.

_Mistakes are made…_

… _But they are made to be forgiven._

Raikou is right with that statement. And Crystal isn't going to let her past mistakes get the best of her. She's going to show Terotrey what she is made of. Everyone is.

"Mom, Eclipso… I'm coming."

-ooo-

"The bombs are assembled and ready."

Terotrey smirks down at the cybertronic Blaziken. Then he looks up at Mt. Coronet and watches the robots flying down towards him. He could see hundreds of bombs on the core of the tallest peak. Behind him, Blackfire and the exiled Legendaries wait patiently for him to say something. The cybertronic exiles look bored while Blackfire looks tired and somewhat worried.

Terotrey lets out a chuckle. Everything is going according to plan. It won't be long before-

"Um, Sir?"

Terotrey growls. "What?" He snarls as he glares down at the Blaziken. The fire chicken trembles in fear before he points at the mountains. "Look…"

Terotrey rolls his eyes and looks up at the mountains. He squints before a flash of white catches his attention and his eyes widen in bewilderment and surprise. Blackfire looks closely and looks both horrified and surprised.

_Crystal and Raikou..._

The duo are standing beside each other as they stare down at Terotrey with narrowed eyes. They have armor on them and Terotrey snorts when he realizes that they have planned to attack him.

"It's just those two powerless Pokémon." He mutters. He waves a dismissive hand. "Blow the mountain up while they're still on it. Hopefully the boulders will crush them."

Blackfire gasps before she nudges Terotrey roughly. The dragon glares at her angrily but Blackfire narrows her eyes at him. "You promised that you wouldn't hurt Crystal!" She snaps.

Terotrey smirks. "I said that I wouldn't hurt her, but I never said anything about protecting her. When the bombs explode, it will be the rocks that will be killing your daughter. So technically, _I'm _not going to kill Crystal. But she needs to be quick if she wants to survive…"

Blackfire suddenly looks livid. She begins to attack Terotrey with her hooves. "You bastard! You tricked me!"

Terotrey narrows his eyes in annoyance and slaps Blackfire across the face. The force makes her fall down with a pained groan. Terotrey sneers as he grabs Blackfire's neck and holds her up close to his face. "You stay silent or I will not hesitate to take Crystal down. Remember that as long as you work for me, then I will not lay a hand on Crystal. Am I clear?"

Blackfire only glares up at him bitterly.

"Sir-" The Blaziken speaks again.

"WHAT?" Terotrey roars in impatience.

"There's something else…" The Blaziken points at the mountains again. Terotrey groans and faces the mountains…

… To see thousands of Pokémon and humans standing behind Crystal and Raikou. The army gives the dragon glares of fright or hatred as their armor glimmer under the moonlight. Right beside the duo, the rest of the Legendaries and several of their close allies look determined as they stare down at Terotrey with fierce determination.

Blackfire's expression turns into awe and hope while Terotrey's face falls._ "How… How is this possible?"_

**Feedback or comments about chapter or story please!**


	18. Chapter 18: The Battle Part Three

**Feedback please! Zarko belongs to Airman0007.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 18: The Battle Part Three**

Terotrey couldn't believe his eyes as he stares at the army. Several Pokémon cries are let out and he could tell that they are all here to stop him.

He narrows his eyes in anger. He's going to have to punish them for their disobedience. They are so ignorant to realize that he is only trying to create a better world. Even if he is going to have to set up examples, he will not let anyone stop him from creating a perfect world.

Terotrey snarls as he turns to his robots. "Take down every single one of them. I will not let mere sinners stop me from my goals." The robots immediately follow his degree and fly towards the Pokémon with super speed. Terotrey glances at Blackfire and grabs her face. He leans closely to her. "And as for you. You're staying with me."

Then Terotrey holds Blackfire closely as he flies up into the sky and hides behind the heavy clouds. He waits to attack at the right moment and Blackfire gazes down at the Pokémon army sadly.

-ooo-

Crystal raises her eyebrows when she sees the robots advancing towards them. The metallic noises are so piercing but she refuses to let the noise stop her. She turns to the army and notices that the soldiers look a bit nervous. Zarko walks up to Crystal and faces the army. Knowing that he has only a few moments left to give words of encouragement, Zarko gives out one last speech before they go into the battle that they have spent all day preparing for.

"IT IS TIME THAT WE FIGHT! REMEMBER EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE TOLD YOU! DO NOT SURRENDER NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS! DO NOT GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT! BE PROUD TO SERVE! BE PROUD TO FIGHT FOR OUR FUTURE! BE PROUD TO FIGHT FOR YOUR DESTINIES!"

The Pokémon roar out and their voices echo through the mountains. Even though they look somewhat determined, they still look nervous. Violet stands between Zarko and Crystal and takes a deep breath. "In other words…" Soon she throws up a fist and lets out a fierce shriek. "LET'S GO KICK SOME METALLIC ASSES, DUDES!"

The next cheer is even louder than the previous one. Crystal smiles before she turns serious and firmly clenches her fists. She narrows her eyes at the robots as they approach closer by the minute.

Zarko takes out his dagger and points it at the robots. "ATTACK!" He roars as the heroes charge down the slope. The Pokémon let out roars as they charge forwards. The trainers stay back and let their Pokémon roam down while Team Rocket flies towards the robots in their gunships. The flying Pokémon fly past the machines and aim towards the robots. Soon the Pokémon reach down to a flat surface and charge at the robots. It isn't long until the armies are centimeters apart. Soon the air explodes with sounds of metal against metal or roars of determination or agony.

The stronger Pokémon tackle the robots while some tribe Pokémon use archery or swordsmanship to fight. Several Pokémon just use what they have and tear at the robots. The gunships try their best to shoot at the robots but they have no luck since the altitude scatters their radars The robots didn't have much luck using their own lock-on attacks either. Several trainers shout out orders at their Pokémon as they fight.

The battle has begun.

-ooo-

The heroes and Legendaries rush through the fighting Pokémon as they make their way towards the bombs. They knock several robots away but stop when they are ambushed by a large mob.

"Crystal, we will distract the robots." Zarko yells as he stabs a cybertronic Beedrill on the chest. "Take Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash and deactivate the bombs! Go!"

Crystal nods before she drags the heroes away from the group and leads them towards the mountain. As they run, their allies face off against the robots.

Gallade comes across a cybertronic Blaziken. The fire Pokémon sneers. "Miss me? How's your family doing?"

Gallade snarls as he takes out his swords. "Better now that they will be avenged!" He yells as he strikes forward. He avoids a kick and dodges every punch that the fire chicken throws at him.

"Is everyone doing OK?" Ribo calls out as he blocks a strike from a cybertronic Alakazam. "Do we have to answer that?" Violet snaps irritably before she is swept off her feet. A cybertronic Nidoqueen is about to slice her throat until Ribo knocks her out of the way and helps Violet up. The phantom pants as she leans against the psychic. "Thanks."

Ribo shrugs as he lets go of Violet. "Don't mention it." Then the psychic turns away and begins to use his air affinity to strike at numerous robots. Violet stares in awe until a roar erupts from her. She turns and dodges when a cybertronic Grumpig launches at her. Violet punches it in the face and returns to the fight.

Crystal and the boys finally make it to the bombs. As they stop to catch their breaths, the lizard inspects the bombs but hesitates when she reaches out to them.

"Crystal! What's the problem? All we need to do is just cut off the wires to deactivate the bombs, right?" Raikou asks. Then he leans forward to cut a wire but Crystal slaps his paw away. Raikou whines and pulls away as he stares at her in shock.

"No. Terotrey is not that simple. His bombs explode if someone touches them…" Crystal mutters.

Darkrai grumbles in frustration while Ash looks confused. "Crystal, you're a telepath. Can't you just use your powers to move the bombs away from their spots?"

Crystal pauses before realization hits her. She grins and hugs a startled Ash. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that? Ash, you're a genius!" She lets go of the bewildered human and looks down at the bombs. Then she closes her eyes and focuses.

Soon a pack of attached bombs levitates above the heroes. Crystal opens her eyes and stares at the levitating pack before she looks at the boys. She suddenly smirks. "I think that it's time that we do a shooting session…"

The boys look at Crystal curiously as she uses her powers to make the bombs shoot up high in the air. Then Crystal summons an Aura Sphere and shoots it at the pack. The impact makes the bombs explode in midair. Some Pokémon look bewildered by the random explosions before they turn back to their fights. Crystal turns to the boys and they look excited.

"All right!" Raikou cheers. "Now that is what I'm talking about!"

Crystal smiles and begins to throw more packs up into the air. Ash uses a slingshot to shoot rocks at the bombs while Raikou uses Spark and Darkrai uses Shadow Ball. Soon the four Pokémon begin to have a contest to see who would shoot the most packs at the quickest time while Crystal hastily throws up numerous bomb packs. Unfortunately, Terotrey takes notice of the heroes and he narrows his eyes at them. Then he smirks and lets out a beastly snarl as he glances at the hidden exiles. The exiles nod absentmindedly and fly out of their hiding spots from the mountains. The heroes continue firing at the bombs until a Shadow Ball hits Ash and sends him flying back. The three Pokémon look bewildered before they look up and gasp.

When Eclipso and Saberspark walk up to the heroes, the heroes step away from the bombs in alarm. "Oh, Arceus. Eclipso, is that you?" Darkrai gasps as he stares at his younger brother.

"Of course, pathetic Legendary," Eclipso hisses. Soon Terotrey and Blackfire land behind the exiles and the dragon sneers down at the horrified heroes. Everyone stops what they are doing and look up at Terotrey in horror and fear. When they see the exiles facing the heroes, they stare in shock and disbelief.

"We told you that we weren't lying!" Violet yells as she points at the exiles. Arceus stares at Blackfire while the black qilinlike being watches the heroes nervously.

Raikou gathers up the courage to step up to the exiles. The robots snarl at him threateningly. "Don't you guys remember us? We're your family. Please don't do this…"

The robots say nothing but step up as they bear their fangs at the heroes. Darkrai and Raikou shudder while Ash recovers from his attack and hides behind them. Suddenly Crystal rushes around the boys and stands before them protectively.

Shocked by her boldness, Darkrai protests. "Crystal, what are you doing!"

Crystal doesn't respond as she stares at the exiles carefully. Her friends are right; they have changed. But hopefully she can talk some sense into them and make them come back to her side. "Guys, don't you recognize me?" She asks as she holds up her hands soothingly.

Eclipso stares at Crystal before he blinks twice. "You… Crystalline…"

Crystal smiles a little. "That's right. It's me, Crystal. You were my guardians before we were captured, remember?" Eclipso stares at Crystal thoughtfully while several Pokémon wonder what she is talking about. She was friends with the exiles? She never mentioned that at the press. Suddenly several voices call out to Crystal.

"Don't just stand there! Run!" Rayquaza yells. Saberspark aims his cannons at the green dragon. "Stay silent or you will die first!"

"Everyone…" Arceus steps up and looks down sadly at the exiles. The exiles snarl and aim their weapons at him but the God remains unaffected. "Please don't do this. We are your friends."

"Liar!" Eclipso hisses. "If you were our friends, then you wouldn't have banished us for something that we had no control over. You should have never banished us and now look at what it has done to us!"

"He's right, Eclipso," Crystal murmurs softly. "We are your friends. The Legendaries have missed you all even after your exile. I have missed you when I escaped and I felt horrible when I couldn't free you. I was so sad to leave my friends behind…"

Suddenly Terotrey chuckles darkly. Everyone glances up at him strangely. "Crystalline, you cannot be that ignorant… Do you understand nothing?"

Crystal tilts her head. "What are you talking about?" She demands.

"Eclipso has sacrificed himself for you in order to keep you safe. He has worked hard to make sure that I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. He made sure that I kept my promise to not harm you in any way up until tonight. Why do you think that he was the closest person to you other than your mother? Why would he choose you over himself when he knows perfectly well that you can take care of yourself?"

Everyone is silent while Crystal stares up at Terotrey. Suddenly Blackfire gasps. "You cannot mean…"

Terotrey smirks at Blackfire over his shoulder. "That's right. Eclipso was willing to sacrifice himself and even the other exiles to save Crystal because he loves her as more than just as a pupil."

"**WHAT?"** Everyone gapes at the dragon before they look at Crystal and Eclipso. The lizard just stares up at the doctor before she stares at Eclipso's blank glare. Is it true…?

"Now let's see how you can handle my new minions." Terotrey smirks before he snaps his claws. "Kill them!"

Suddenly Eclipso and Saberspark attack the four heroes. Blackfire and the Legendaries protest and step forward but are held back by the cybertronic exiles. All the allies could do is watch in horror and fear as their friends are being attacked. The heroes panic as they dodge several strikes and blows and are suddenly grateful for their armor.

Eclipso attacks Crystal and Darkrai while Saberspark chases Raikou and Ash around the slope. The human has to ride on the thunder tiger in order to avoid being hit. Crystal notices that Eclipso seems somewhat hesitant to fight her but he doesn't hold back from punching Darkrai. Maybe a bit of Eclipso is still in him but she needs to find a way to snap him out of Terotrey's control. However, Eclipso's quick movements make it almost impossible to touch him. Suddenly Eclipso smacks Crystal's face and the force sends her flying a few feet into the rocks. Then the phantom grabs Darkrai's throat and pins him down to the ground. He holds up his claws and is about to strike the phantom when something tackles against him. Eclipso grunts and quickly turns to see Cresselia hovering over Darkrai protectively. Suddenly an unusual scent erupts from the counterparts and Eclipso furrows his brows. He glares at Darkrai as he points at Cresselia.

"You mated with this woman?"

Suddenly everything turns silent as everyone stares at the group. Raikou pauses and looks at the counterparts in panic. "Oh, hell…" Then he jumps out of the way when Saberspark attacks him and resumes running. Crystal finally digs her way out of her crater but panics when she hears Eclipso's question. She looks up at Arceus and the God looks skeptical as he stares expectantly at the dream Legendaries.

"Is this true?" Arceus asks sternly as he stares at the duo. The lovers hesitate before Cresselia answers. "We have mated and we were going to have offspring… But Terotrey killed them."

The Legendaries look shocked and are either outraged or impressed that Darkrai and Cresselia would break a major rule. Crystal hastily runs up to the duo and interrupts the tension. "Can we talk about this later? We have a fight that we need to finish…"

"No, Arceus has every right to be concerned." Terotrey smirks down at Crystal. "Mating is forbidden to the Legendaries and those two have broken that law. They broke another rule when you found out that Cresselia was pregnant. I just did the Legendaries a favor by stressing the embryo's minds to the point of death. We all know that breaking a Legendary rule leads to the punishment of death. And anyone who protects the rule-breakers must also be put to death…"

Arceus looks incredulous as he stares at Crystal and her allies. "You and Raikou's allies have known about the affair and expectancy?"

Crystal hesitates before she slowly nods. "We have kept quiet about it in hopes that Terotrey wouldn't find out… But it was useless…"

Everyone is silent as they mutter amongst themselves. Several Legendaries give Cresselia and Darkrai disbelieving looks while the duo look at Crystal for help. The lizard holds them protectively behind her as she glares up at Terotrey.

The dragon chuckles. "If Arceus won't go through with the penalty, then I have no problems with doing it for him."

Crystal looks furious as she holds the Legendaries closely. "I won't let you separate them! I won't let them be separated because they broke some stupid laws! I won't let them be separated just as my parents were! I won't let them suffer like Arceus and Blackfire did!" Suddenly Crystal gasps and covers her mouth.

Everyone is silent as they gawk at Crystal. Her close allies stare disbelievingly at her while Arceus and Blackfire look greatly surprised. Even Saberspark and Raikou stop to stare at Crystal in shock. "Crystal, you moron…" Violet groans as she slaps her forehead.

Terotrey looks triumphant as he cackles. "I knew it! You are the child of Blackfire and Arceus! I was right after all these months!"

Crystal pauses. "You have known this whole time?" She demands.

Terotrey shrugs. "I had a hunch." Suddenly he smirks. "But nonetheless, you are a threat and you need to be eliminated." Suddenly Terotrey lifts up his foot. Crystal shrieks and pushes Darkrai and Cresselia away when Terotrey attempts to step on them.

"Leave her alone!" Blackfire cries as she forcefully pushes Terotrey. Several Pokémon scream and move out of the way as the dragon topples over. Terotrey sits up and glares at Blackfire furiously. "Enough of this!" He roars as he stands up. Then he slaps Blackfire's face and the force makes her stumble back. Several Pokémon back away from Blackfire while Terotrey grabs a struggling Crystal.

"Get your hands off her!" Laki yells as she and Crystal's friends run up to attack Terotrey's legs. Annoyed, Terotrey grabs the Pokémon and uses his free hand to summon and black and purple portal. Then he leans down to deactivate the bombs and picks two packs up. He throws the seven screaming Pokémon into the portal and sets up a time limit on the bombs before he throws the bombs inside as well.

"NO!" Several Pokémon reach forward but are too late when the portal closes. Terotrey smiles smugly and claps his hands clean before he turns to the stunned army. "Now, where was I?"

Suddenly everyone starts to attack the dragon out of anger. Only Blackfire and Arceus stay at their spots since they are too stunned by what happened. Annoyed, Terotrey whistles to his robots.

"What have you done to my wife and nephew?" Atsila demands as two robots pull him back. The exiles push against the Legendaries while the dragon manages to swat away several Pokémon that are still attacking him. "They're in my dimension. The bombs will be set to destroy them in less than a minute."

"You…" Arceus growls. Everyone turn silent as they watch the God Pokémon walk over to Terotrey with furious eyes. He stops right in front of the smirking dragon and snarls. "You have gone too far with your plans this time…"

Everyone steps back as they watch the God and devil exchange a glaring contest. Even Blackfire seems a bit unnerved by the sight. Several Pokémon decide to hide behind boulders for protection as they watch the duo.

"Are you challenging me?" Terotrey sneers. Arceus growls. "You have transformed the exiles into robot minions. Then you take my mate as your queen. And now you have sent my daughter to her death. So yes, this is a challenge." Then the Arceus spreads apart his lets and prepares to attack.

Terotrey smirks. "You are on."

-ooo-

"Son of a bitch!" Violet yells as she crashes against an unknown island. She sits up but falls down when Rocky and Ribo land on her. The other Pokémon land on different spots and groan as they sit up. They realize that they are in Terotrey's Realm and Crystal swears at their luck.

Rocky groans as he rolls off Violet. He rubs his head and looks beside him. He yelps as he backs into Ribo. "Bombs!" He shouts. The Pokémon stare at the time-linked bombs and panic. Then they turn to Crystal.

"Crys! Our watches are broken! Get us out of here!" Gallade shouts.

Crystal panics as she fiddles with her watch. "But my watch is broken too! Eclipso damaged it but it has enough power to send us back to the base!"

"You're telling me that it can only warp us back home?" Rocky cries out.

Violet glares at Rocky and crosses her arms. "That's what she just said, Rock Head…"

"But it'll take us hours to get back to Mt. Coronet from the island!" Ribo cries.

"It's better than nothing!" Laki yells as she gazes at the bombs. "Crys, just summon a portal before we get blown into smithereens!"

Crystal nods and hastily puts in her code. The heroes anxiously wait until a portal appears nearby. They waste no time and jump inside. The heroes could hear the bombs exploding and feel their hearts pounding as they reach to their destination. They jump onto the garden grass and shield themselves when the explosion flares out briefly from the portal. But as soon as the portal closes, they sigh in relief and stand up.

Professor Oak walks up to the Pokémon and stares at them in confusion. "What's going on…?"

Crystal hastily jumps up to her feet. She looks at her friends. "Let's go! We have no time to waste!" Soon the lizard runs towards the stairs and uses Agility to speed up her pace. However, she pauses to remove her heavy armor. Once she is free of her protection, Crystal bolts up to the cliffs. Violet heaves as she floats up. "Crystal, wait for us!"

Then the Pokémon also remove their armor and quickly get to work. Laki summons an aura board and waits for Gallade to jump on while Scalene picks up Rocky. Soon all six Pokémon rush after their leader and disappear over the cliffs. The humans and Pokémon are confused by what just happened.

-ooo-

Arceus pants heavily as he leans against a large boulder. He glares bitterly at Terotrey while gold blood and sweat leak from his damaged body. He groans as he topples over in pain while Terotrey smirks down at him and crosses his arms. The robots watch emotionlessly from behind the dragon while Blackfire stares horrifically and fearfully at Arceus. The Pokémon and humans hide amongst the mountains as they watch the fight. They look horrified when they notice how badly damaged Arceus is and their hopes of winning the battle seems to dim.

The battle between the God and devil has been going on for several hours. Neither powerful creatures would give up but it is obvious that the God was having a slight disadvantage after his armor was destroyed. Terotrey didn't look to be damaged at all. The clouds seem to turn heavy and lightning strikes over the mountains.

Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash feel uneasy as they pray to Reshiram and Zekrom that Crystal and her friends have somehow successfully escaped from Terotrey's Realm. No one realizes that a certain white Grovyle and her allies are flying through the mountains from behind the dragon.

Arceus coughs out blood as he forces himself to stand up. He gives Terotrey a dirty look. "You dirty cheater…"

Terotrey casually examines his claws. "I try to be." Suddenly he punches Arceus' stomach. The Pokémon grimace when gold blood oozes out of the God's lips. Suddenly Arceus falls down onto his side and is unable to pick himself up. Terotrey puts his foot on the God's neck and opens his mouth to shoot a powerful beam. The Pokémon panic and start to yell at Arceus.

"ARCEUS, PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP!"

"DON'T DIE ON US!"

"KEEP FIGHTING!"

Suddenly a firm voice makes everyone turn silent. "Stop."

Terotrey seizes his attack and cranes his neck to look at Blackfire in surprise. The qilinlike exile walks up to the devil and stands before Arceus protectively. Arceus weakly looks up at his mate in bewilderment while Terotrey stares at her incredulously. "What are you doing, Blackfire?"

Blackfire says nothing as she stares up at Terotrey. "It seems that you like to gamble with other people's lives."

Terotrey raises an eyebrow. "And your point is?"

Blackfire stares up at Terotrey expectantly. "What would I have to give you in order for you to spare Arceus' life?"

Terotrey is silent as a small smirk crosses his lips. "Well, now you are getting interesting…"

Blackfire says nothing as Terotrey thinks about her offer. Several Pokémon watch in anticipation while Arceus nudges Blackfire's leg gently. Blackfire turns to give him a sad smile before she turns to face Terotrey.

Suddenly anticipation crosses Terotrey's expression as he gives Blackfire a dirty smile. He holds her chin oxymoronically gently as he leans closely. "I want something from you that only you can give me. Something that I have always wanted from you the moment you became my second in command. Something that would help me with my goal to create a perfect world."

Blackfire swallows quickly before she asks, "And what would that be?"

Terotrey smirks. "A child. Bear me a powerful offspring, Blackfire. Become my mate and I will let Arceus go free."

**Feedback or comments please! And remember; the characters' bios are in my DeviantArt account. Also, the vote for updating this story more often is on my profile!**


	19. Chapter 19: The Battle Part Four

**The final battle scene! Note that the climax hasn't changed; if it did, it ruins the whole story overall!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 19: The Battle Part Four**

It is official; Terotrey has lost his mind. Raikou is sure of it.

Everyone stares at Terotrey in pure shock, disgust, horror, and disbelief. Blackfire's expression falls as her legs tremble. She feels so faint that she has forced herself to stand up to stare at Terotrey. And he has the nerve to ask her in front of the whole world!

Darkrai, Ash, and Raikou wait in anticipation for Blackfire's response. Raikou blinks when he sees a few Pokémon run up behind Terotrey. He squints for a better visual and almost yelps out in joy when he realizes that they are Crystal and her allies. He then realizes that the seven Pokémon are summoning their affinities and are powering up for a powerful attack. The tiger narrows his eyes before he jumps out of his hiding spot. Several of his friends call out to him but he ignores them as he rushes up to a boulder beside Blackfire. Blackfire glances down at him questionably.

The tiger then gestures Blackfire to come closer. Blackfire leans her face closely to Raikou and the thunder tiger whispers something into her ear. Terotrey looks greatly suspicious and he tries to listen into the conversation telepathically. But to his annoyance, Blackfire has summoned a protective mind shield so no one would listen to her and Raikou's discussion. Arceus groans and sits up as he watches the duo curiously and tiredly.

Suddenly Blackfire smiles and nods before she turns to Terotrey. "I have made my decision."

Terotrey smiles and steps forward expectantly. Blackfire smirks as her lavender eyes glow. "I will not accept your proposition!" Suddenly she leaps forward and tackles Terotrey back. The dragon grunts and stumbles back from the force and is forcefully turned to face Crystal and her allies. Terotrey's angry face turns into horror and disbelief when he sees the heroes' palms glowing with their affinities.

"NOW!" Crystal yells as she aims her water affinity at the dragon's face. Soon her friends throw their own affinities at the dragon and their beams combine into one rainbow beam as it blasts against the dragon. Terotrey screams as a flash of light erupts from him. Everyone ducks for cover and holds their balance when the ground shakes violently. Terotrey's scream echo in the mountains until everything stops.

When the heroes peek out, all they see is dust scattered everywhere. They boldly decide to come out and slowly climb down from the boulders. Blackfire stands up and looks around while Raikou jumps down and walks towards where Terotrey was once standing. Arceus stands beside Blackfire and watches his surroundings cautiously. Soon the dust clears and the Pokémon see Crystal and her allies lying on their backs. Crystal is on her knees coughing up a storm while her Jewel of Life turns a dull shade of green.

Darkrai, Raikou, and Ash quickly rush over to Crystal and help her up. Crystal groans tiredly as she holds her throbbing head. "You OK?" Raikou asks softly. Crystal nods while Darkrai and Ash begin to help her friends up to their feet. Soon the Legendaries and soldiers walk up to the small group. The robots remain indifferent as they stay at their spots.

"That was quite a show," Arceus comments. Suddenly he frowns. "But where is Terotrey?"

Crystal breathes raggedly as she leans against Raikou for support. Then she points at a nearby crater that strangely is outlined like a human's body. Darkrai looks down at the steep crater with wide eyes. "Damn… I wonder if he's still alive."

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Violet asks from behind the phantom. The heroes turn and see that Violet, Ribo, and Rocky are holding an unconscious scientist in their arms. Raikou hesitates before he steps up and pokes Terotrey's cheek. Crystal groans as she moves away from Raikou and straightens up. "He's still alive; he's only unconscious. Our affinities have only drained his energy."

Ash grins as he suddenly hugs Crystal. "Way to go, Crystal. We won!" Suddenly the whole army cheers victoriously while the Legendaries smile proudly. Crystal looks at her friends. "Guys, could you watch over Terotrey?" Then she glances at Arceus and Blackfire. The qilinlike beings are standing beside each other as they smile proudly at Crystal. "I think it's time that I have a talk with my parents…"

Laki smiles and nods in understanding. "Take all the time that you need."

Crystal nods and soon pushes her way through the crowd as the soldiers congratulate her with praises or pats on her back. Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash smile as they watch Crystal walk up to her parents. They know how long she has waited for this moment and they are happy for her.

Suddenly their own allies tackle against them and hold them close for a group hug. Suicune nuzzles against Raikou lovingly while Cresselia smothers kisses all over Darkrai's face. Darkrai is too happy and relieved to protest.

"That was so awesome dude!" Jeff cries out as he spins around excitedly. "I bet that you guys have planned this all out, didn't you?"

The three boys hesitate as they glance at each other. Then they shrug. "We sure did." Raikou murmurs.

Then he glances at Terotrey and couldn't help but wonder about why something is off about him. He ignores his friends' praises as he stares at Terotrey carefully. Suddenly he notices something on the scientist's chest and squints. His eyes widen when he sees small black vapor flowing around the human's chest. What is going on…?

Meanwhile, Crystal shares a loving nuzzle with her mother. She has kept her promise; her mother is free and she can now do whatever she pleases.

"Crystalline, I cannot tell you how proud I am of you." Blackfire murmurs softly. When she pulls away, her lavender eyes glow brightly from the darkness.

"I am proud as well." Arceus says. The girls look at him and notice that the God looks almost fascinated by the sight of his daughter. His eyes glow a brilliant shade of gold as he leans down to Crystal. Then he sighs. "Crystal, I want you to know that I have known that you were my daughter the moment I saw you on the broadcast channel."

"You did?" Both Blackfire and Crystal look surprised. Arceus nods.

"But I want you to know that before you were born, Blackfire and I have once considered starting a family. I would have been proud to be a father. However, a few centuries after the humans started to dominate Earth, Reshiram and Zekrom made rules that concerned Legendaries. For obvious safety reasons, we could not mate out of fear of producing new Legendaries that hold unspeakable powers. As such, Blackfire's pregnancy forced me to banish her from the Legendary Council."

Crystal furrows her brows in confusion. "But you said that you thought she was with another man at that time…"

Blackfire's eyes widen and she glares accusingly at a suddenly sheepish Arceus. "Really? After all my years of being loyal to you, you thought that I would cheat on you behind your back?" She snaps skeptically.

"I didn't think that our species could get each other pregnant…" Arceus responds honestly. "And I couldn't read your mind to find out about the truth either…"

Blackfire groans. Crystal sweat-drops before she decides to end the argument. "Anyway… You aren't going to banish Darkrai and Cresselia, are you?"

Arceus looks down at Crystal blankly. She looks serious. "I know that what they did is against the Legendary rules, but if you banish them then you're being a bit hypocritical since you essentially did the same crime yourself. Besides, the damage is done and their children have been taken away from them…" Crystal suddenly looks sad.

Arceus looks somewhat stunned by Crystal's audacity. Then he thinks about her statement and realizes that if he does banish Darkrai and Cresselia, then they might end up in the same fate that Blackfire and he have gone through. He sighs as he shakes his head. "Very well. I will put aside their punishment, but only because they are two of the best Legendaries I have…"

Crystal grins happily and Blackfire surprisingly chuckles. She shakes her head. Then Arceus looks at Blackfire curiously. "So what exactly did happen to you after your exile?"

Blackfire sighs. "It's a very long story, so I'll make it short. I stayed at the Garden of Eden with the exiles. I offered them a home there after their exile. Then I gave birth to Crystal and we hid in the garden most of the time until Terotrey's ancestors captured us. For several centuries they experimented on us and passed us down to each generation until Crystal escaped. The exiles and I stayed after we agreed to work with the humans as long as they leave Crystal alone. I gave Crystal the Jewel of Life for safekeeping when she returned to try to free me. Then when Terotrey took over, he began to develop an interest in me after he programmed a machine that could transform him into a dragon…"

Blackfire and Crystal let out shudders at the thought. Arceus frowns. "That makes no sense… How on Earth can a group of humans manage to capture all the exiles at once when they don't have the proper equipment? And how can they hold you all for so long and pass you down for generations…?"

The girls are silent as they glance at each other. "I dunno…" Crystal shrugs cluelessly. "But we have thought about that for the past few decades… It's too coincidental to ignore… Terotrey has this ability to morph into different things and his body turns into vapor if he is attacked…"

Suddenly realization hits Arceus and he gasps. "It can't be…" He stares at Terotrey's human form carefully. "… Darkstar…?"

"Who?" Crystal asks in confusion. Blackfire suddenly looks pale as she looks at Arceus.

"There is only one person I know that can do those things… And he is no human for that matter… He's a very bad spirit that Reshiram and Zekrom banished a very long time ago. He has caused mischief in our world for centuries…"

Suddenly realization dawns on Blackfire. "So the main man of the house… Darkstar disguised himself as a different human of the next generation? He even renames himself as Terotrey in this generation?"

Crystal's expression is blank as she listens to her parents. But when they finish their musings, Crystal realizes that the situation is bad and suddenly feels uneasy. "Can Darkstar be killed?" She asks.

"No… He is a spirit; therefore, he cannot die."

"If that is true…" Suddenly Crystal gasps and turns around to look at the scientist. She grows horrified when she realizes that her friends have their backs turned to the unconscious scientist. Crystal gasps when she sees black vapor flowing around the human until Terotrey takes the form of a gaseous ball of black substance. He opens his red eyes and snarls as he advances towards Raikou.

"Oh, no!" Crystal cries before she makes a run towards the thunder tiger. She screams as she pushes her way through the bewildered crowd. "RAIKOU! GET AWAY FROM TEROTREY!"

Arceus and Blackfire fly over the crowd as they race towards the tiger that has yet to realize that he is in danger.

-ooo-

Raikou continues to stare at Terotrey and watches the vapor forming around his chest. Then he turns to his friends. "Guys…?"

Jeff stops his rambling and narrows his eyes at the tiger for interrupting his speech. But he hesitates when he sees the worried expression on Raikou's face. But before the tiger could say something, a fierce scream shatters the peaceful chatter.

"RAIKOU! GET AWAY FROM TEROTREY!"

The heroes turn and see Crystal, Arceus, and Blackfire running straight towards them with terrified looks on their faces. No one notices Terotrey picking up a sword from the ground as he advances towards the thunder tiger's back.

The heroes raise their brows at Crystal's statement. "Why would we…?" Darkrai trails off slowly as everyone turns to look at the scientist. But to their horror, the scientist is gone and a ball of gas with red eyes is charging at them with a sword held up high. The Pokémon scream and run at different directions while Raikou remains frozen at his spot. Petrified by fear, he watches the vaporous monster charging at him with glowing red eyes. Everyone screams at the tiger to move while Crystal and her parents speed up to save the tiger. Time seems to slow down as the monster comes closer.

Then Raikou closes his eyes and waits for the pain.

He waits…

Waits…

And… Nothing…

Silence.

"_**NO!"**_A voice shrieks. Raikou couldn't recognize the owner of the voice and continues to keep his eyes shut. But when the pain doesn't come, he slowly opens his eyes to see what has happened…

… And watches in unspeakable horror as Blackfire's body slumps before him. Her head lands right beside him and gold blood splatters out of her neck. Raikou screams and scrambles away as he stares at the sight in horror, disbelief, and fright. Blackfire's eyes and mouth are wide open but she says nothing as her lifeless orbs stare at Raikou's horrified ones.

Blackfire is no more.

The gaseous monster stares at Blackfire with wide eyes. It shakes tremendously as it drops its sword. **"**_**NO**_**!" **He cries. Raikou is surprised when he realizes that the gaseous orb has Terotrey's voice. He sounds like he is filled with pain and despair. _**"You were meant to be with me!"**_

Everyone is silent as they stare in ill shock and horror at the gory sight. Suddenly a ball of light shoots straight at Terotrey and engulfs him. Terotrey screams in pain as the substance carries him up into the air and diminishes the remains of his vapor-like appearance. Soon Terotrey disappears and the glowing orb fades into nothing.

Suddenly the robots groan as they rub their heads. The Pokémon look at them and notice that they seem to have snapped out of their trances. When the exiles see Blackfire, they scream.

"BLACKFIRE!" Eclipso yells as he floats over to his old friend. He pushes aside hundreds of stupefied Pokémon as he floats beside Blackfire and takes in the sight of her beheaded body. Saberspark joins his side and stares horrifically until he notices his petrified brother. He rushes over to the tiger and shakes his shoulders roughly. "Raikou, what happened? Answer me, boy!"

Raikou is speechless as he stares at Blackfire's lifeless face. He could barely believe the idea that she has sacrificed herself to save him. It has to be a nightmare…

Suddenly an agonized beastly howl shatters the silence. The Pokémon watch Arceus leaning over his mate's body with horrified desperate eyes. _"Blackfire!"_ He howls as he falls down to his knees. Then he lets out unintelligible words as he cries and nuzzles his face against Blackfire's fur. He ignores the wounds on his body as the sudden heartbreak overwhelms him. The Legendaries hesitate as they move closer while the other soldiers stay at their spots.

Raikou finally snaps out of his shock and begins to cry out of guilt and fear. His brother nuzzles him comfortingly.

"GUYS! SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH CRYSTAL!" Laki screams. Everyone turns and sees that Ribo is holding a limp lizard in his arms. Her skin seems paler than milk and her eyes are open but lifeless.

Darkrai floats over to her. Then he notices something. "Where's the Jewel of Life?" The orb is missing from the lizard's chest; it's like it was never there in the beginning.

Arceus snaps his head up and suddenly looks livid. "What do you _mean_ that it's gone?" His eyes are dull and lifeless while his face is wet from the tears that he has shed. Darkrai glares at him. "What do you mean what do I mean that it's gone? It's gone!" He barks in panic.

"I have it!" Violet cries as she holds up the orb. The duo sigh in relief. "But that isn't the problem right now! Something is wrong with Crystal!" She points at the lizard. Suddenly Eclipso floats over to them. The Pokémon look a bit unnerved by his robotic appendages but they let him lean over Crystal's body in Ribo's arms.

"Crystal!" The phantom cries. He gently takes Crystal into her arms and caresses her forehead softly. He looks up at Ribo. "What happened to her?"

"We were going to tell you before we were so rudely interrupted!" Violet snaps. Ribo ignores her as he looks down at Crystal. "She still has a pulse and a heartbeat, but her aura is missing…"

"What do you _mean_ that her aura is missing?" Mewtwo demands. "Nobody can lose their auras!"

"Then explain why Crystal's aura is gone!" Ribo snaps. Mewtwo is silent as he uses his telepathy to sense Crystal's aura. But to his surprise, it's not in her body. It really is gone…

"And the Jewel of Life came off after she fell down!" Violet holds up the orb before she inspects it carefully. "But I think that it cracked…" She notices the colors swirling around inside the orb in a crazy fashion.

Suddenly Arceus lets out a groan. Everyone looks at him. "Arceus! You OK?" Raikou asks.

"The Jewel of Life… It is damaged…" Arceus groans. "That orb is a part of me… If it is damaged, then my life is in danger…" The Pokémon murmur amongst themselves while the God looks at Crystal's friends expectantly. "What exactly happened?"

Laki looks confused before she steps up. "It's sort of confusing…" She scratches her ears uncomfortably. "But Crystal must have somehow foreseen Blackfire's death. She was aiming an Aura Sphere at Terotrey until the sight of Blackfire's beheading broke her concentration. That's when the orb fell and crashed against the floor…"

Arceus suddenly looks fearful. He shakes his head in disbelief. "No… It cannot be…"

"What's happening to Crystal?" Eclipso demands. Arceus sighs. "There was only one situation where this has happened and I have only heard about it… But I will explain as best as I can. Crystal has witnessed Darkstar killing the one person that she has hold dearest to her heart.

"Darkstar?" Raikou raises a brow. Arceus explains himself better. "Darkstar is an evil spirit that has disguised himself numerous times. He has disguised himself as a different human for centuries and has currently renamed himself as Terotrey. He has changed his name numerous times and made the exiles believe that they were held captive by his 'family'. In reality, all the main men of the family was just Darkstar in a disguise."

Suddenly Raikou looks furious. "So you're saying that Terotrey has never existed? We all have been deceived by Darkstar's disguises?"

Arceus nods sadly. "That was why Crystal has told you to run. Darkstar was merely feigning unconsciousness until he saw the opportunity to attack with our backs facing him. But Blackfire stopped him by sacrificing herself to save you." Arceus sighs as tears brim his eyes. "But the event has made Crystal's soul shatter."

"Her soul shatter? What do you mean?" Ash asks uncertainly.

"When Crystal uses her Aura Sphere, she always puts out her soul into that attack since it is so powerful. But when she witnessed Blackfire's death, her concentration broke and her soul shot out directly at Terotrey."

Suddenly Darkrai looks intrigued. "So the white orb that attacked Darkstar was Crystal's soul…" He looks around. "But where is it now?"

"I do not know… It is lingering out somewhere in between the living world and the afterlife…"

"How does that even work?"

Arceus looks exasperated. "I don't know!"

Eclipso looks down at Crystal. "So this body is an empty shell?"

Arceus looks grim. "Yes. And if we do not find a way to refill Crystal's soul back into that body, then she will die. And since she is a part of the Jewel of Life, the orb will be destroyed along with her soul. And if the orb is destroyed…"

Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash glance at each other uneasily. "… Then Arceus dies. And the balance of life will be broken."

**Feedback, please!**


	20. Chapter 20: Afterlife

**Sorry for the long update, folks! Life situation held me back. Enjoy! Feedback please!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 20: Afterlife**

"Ugh..."

Crystal groans as she tries to move. But something holds her down and all her senses are gone. All she could do is think. _'What just happened?'_ She thinks to herself. Everything has happened so quickly that she barely had time to react. _'The last thing I remembered seeing is a flash of light…'_

"My daughter…"

Crystal freezes when she hears Blackfire's voice. She tries to move, but the most she can do is furrow her eyebrows in discomfort.

"_**It seems that her soul is more damaged than we had anticipated…"**_ Another voice says. Crystal couldn't recognize who the voice belongs to.

"_**It seems like it. Blackfire's death has affected Crystal badly. I am not sure about how she will accept it once she awakens…"**_ A third voice says.

"When will she wake up?" Blackfire asks urgently.

"_**Any time now…"**_

Soon Crystal can feel and smell. But she feels like she is levitating and furrows her brows. She squints and is suddenly blinded by a flash of light. Three heads hover over her and Crystal has to blink several times to adjust her vision. Two strange creatures and her mother are staring down at her with concern and bemusement.

"Mother!" Crystal cries as she jumps up. But she stumbles a bit and is surprised to find out that she has hooves. Blackfire's lavender eyes flash in amusement. "Hold on…" Suddenly a mirror appears beside her and Crystal stumbles over to see her reflection. What she sees nearly makes her flip.

She looks like an Arceus species. She has pure white fur and ebony hooves that have flame designs running up through her arms and thighs. Her stomach is black and the color trails up to her lower jaw. Her face is snow white and a silver horn is placed above her glowing gold eyes. Her fur is unusually smooth and thick as it flows behind her.

"Is… Is that me…?" Crystal whispers as she carefully places a hoof on the mirror. Blackfire smiles and kneels down beside her daughter. "Yes, that's you. You are Arceus' child and the granddaughter of Reshiram and Zekrom."

Crystal blinks. "Reshiram and Zekrom?" She asks. She cranes her neck before she looks up at the other two beings. Crystal feels somewhat intimidated by their large sizes and magnificent poses. One was snowy white with blue eyes and the other is ebony black with red eyes. Crystal steps closer to her mother while the exile summons away the mirror.

The white being smiles and chuckles. _**"Do not fear us, young Crystalline. We bring you no harm."**_

"_**We only wish to see our granddaughter at least once in her lifetime."**_ The black being chuckles. Crystal pauses before she comes out from behind her mother and stands before the magnificent beings. She looks up at them cautiously. "You're really my grandparents?"

When they nod, Crystal stumbles back in shock. "Sweet Alpha and Omega…"

The Gods chuckle. _**"There's no need to use our own names in our presence, dear."**_ The white being says. _**"I am Reshiram, the father of Arceus."**_ He gestures to the black being beside him. _**"And that is Zekrom, the father of Blackfire."**_

Suddenly Crystal realizes who she is meeting and bows formally to her grandfathers. "It's nice to meet you, Sirs."

"_**Crystalline, please just call us Grandpa. We don't like our families calling us by our ranks."**_ Zekrom smiles. Crystal couldn't help but smile back. "OK, Grandpa. But I need to know… Where are we?" She looks around and notices that the four Pokémon are in a cream-colored area of nothingness. There was no wall, ceiling, or even a floor.

"_**That's an interesting question, my dear,"**_ Reshiram smiles at Crystal. _**"Usually Zekrom and I would stay in the afterlife. However, we are here for you."**_

Crystal frowns. "What do you mean that you're usually in the afterlife?" She looks suspicious. "Are you dead?"

Zekrom shakes his head. _**"Not exactly, but it is our duties to stay in the afterlife to attend to the spirits of the deceased ones. We are immortal, so we can never die."**_

Suddenly Crystal gasps. "Then if you're here… Does that mean that I'm dead?"

Zekrom throws his head back and roars in laughter while Reshiram smiles and shakes his head. Blackfire looks somewhat amused.

Zekrom finally calms down and pats Blackfire's neck fondly. _**"Oh, Blackfire. She is a lot like you when you were younger."**_

Crystal only frowns as the adults turn to her. Blackfire smiles. "But to answer your question, no. You are not dead, Crystalline. At least not completely."

"Not completely?" Crystal couldn't help but wonder about what that means.

Blackfire decides to clear that statement up. "Crystal, Zekrom and Reshiram came to get me after Terotrey beheaded me. However, we noticed that something has happened to you and we stopped to see what is going on."

"S-So you're really dead…?" Crystal whispers. Blackfire looks grim. "I'm afraid so…"

"Then what about me? What's happening? Am I dead or not?" Crystal is beginning to turn frustrated.

"_**That's the thing."**_ Zekrom leans down close to Crystal. _**"When you witnessed Blackfire's death, you soul shattered."**_

"What do you mean 'shattered'?" Crystal looks just as confused as she feels and sounds.

"_**It's the best way to describe it."**_ Reshiram murmurs. _**"But let me describe what has happened. We know that you were intending to use an Aura Sphere to stop Terotrey from killing Raikou. When you summon an Aura Sphere, you put all your soul into that power. But when you saw Terotrey beheading Blackfire, your concentration broke and your spirit disconnected from your control once it hit Terotrey. But as soon as your soul impacted Terotrey's original form, it shattered into pieces like when glass impacts a solid ground.**_

"Original form as in Darkstar?" Crystal guesses. She remembers the talk that Arceus and Blackfire had not too long ago.

Reshiram and Zekrom nod. Crystal pauses. "You know him?" She asks curiously.

"_**Too well, I'm afraid."**_ Zekrom sighs. _**"He was supposed to be our third counterpart."**_

Crystal's heart drops. "What?"

"_**It's true."**_ Reshiram sighs deflatedly. _**"Darkstar has been with us before Earth was even created. However, he didn't want to help us in creating a better world; he only wanted to have full control. After Zekrom and I created Earth, he threatened us that he would torture so many innocent lives. And he did just that. He has caused so many deaths that we had to banish him into a dimension that is long forgotten. Then we had formed a powerful army if Darkstar decides to attack us, but most of the soldiers have passed on."**_

Crystal is speechless. Then she pauses. "But how do you know that my soul 'shattered'?"

"_**The same situation has happened to one of our best generals. That was the first time it has ever happened but we were too late to save him. His death has forced us to make laws that would protect the balance of life."**_

"You mean Zoroark?" Blackfire asks. Crystal looks at her mother curiously before a pang hits her heart. Where has she heard that name from…?

Zekrom nods. _**"Yes."**_

"What happened?" Crystal asks curiously. Reshiram shakes his head. _**"Let's just say that he has lost a loved one. He sacrificed his soul to protect her from Terotrey. But that is a story that we will share at another time. We have more important things that we must discuss…"**_

Crystal frowns before she shrugs. But she couldn't help but grow curious about this Zoroark person. Who is he…? Then she remembers her predicament and grows concerned. "So if a person's soul shatters, then they die?"

"_**Yes, unless they find a way to heal their souls before their time is up."**_ Zekrom answers. Crystal hesitates. "How long?"

Reshiram sighs. _**"It depends on how many pieces one soul has. The purer a soul is, then the more pieces it has. And since you have a very pure soul, you have seven pieces so you have one week to fix your soul."**_

Suddenly Crystal grows anxious. "That's not very long… How do I even fix my soul anyway?"

"_**It's not something that you can do; it's something that someone else must do. Your soul will stay here until either your soul is fixed or until your time is up. By the end of this week, Reshiram and I will come back and take you to the afterlife."**_

Crystal holds a look of disbelief. "But no one on Earth even knows about my situation! How can they fix it?"

"_**Arceus knows. He has witnessed Zoroark's death and he remembers our description of how to handle this situation. He will tell your friends and allies and help in every way possible."**_Reshiram explains.

"But he is wounded," Blackfire points out uneasily. "When Crystal's soul shattered, the Jewel of Life cracked. It's a part of her as much as it is a part of Arceus. Its damage has made Arceus too weak to even move. If Crystal dies, then so will he."

Zekrom sighs. _**"She is right. Then Arceus had better explain this to his allies. We have little time. If Crystal and Arceus both die, then the balance of life will be broken."**_

"But how do they even know where to look for my soul pieces?" Crystal asks.

"_**You can help the heroes by figuring that out."**_ Zekrom says. _**"It might be bending the rules a little, but we are willing to put this situation aside."**_

"How? You just said that I can't look for the soul pieces myself!"

"_**Yes, but that doesn't mean that you can't tell your friends where they are."**_

Crystal blinks. Zekrom smiles. _**"All the spirits have a way of communicating to their associates through their dreams. But it only happens during emergencies and it requires a lot of energy. Fortunately for you, you have enough power to call out to your friends through your telepathy. But it will only work if your friends are asleep or if they call out to your spirit through a ritual."**_

"I can do that…?" Crystal asks uncertainly. The Gods nod. Crystal sighs. "Well, the talking part is out of the way, but how do I know what my soul pieces are…? And what's the procedure to fixing up a soul?"

"_**Well, to fix up a soul, all the soul pieces must be infused into the owner's body. Then the Azure Flute must play a certain song to bring the person back to life."**_

"Azure Flute?" Suddenly the purple shell that the Lapras twins have given her pops into Crystal's mind. "Is it a purple outdated ocarina?"

"How did you know that?" Blackfire looks surprised. Crystal shrugs. "A couple of friends found it and gave it to me. You know about it?"

"Yes; it was a gift that I had made for your father. But he must have lost it sometime ago…"

Crystal looks surprised before she nods. She looks a little relieved. "OK, well the shell is found. I'll tell the boys to grab it when they revive me…" She frowns. "But what are my seven soul pieces?"

"_**They usually represent a person's essential qualities. They must represent the heart, the mind, the feelings, the choice, the spirit, the free will, and the love. They could be any personal items of yours as long as they represent those qualities."**_

Crystal is silent as she thinks. "Hmm… I'll have my friends look around for possible items… I'm sure that there must be something. I don't have many personal items anyway…"

"_**Even if you find all the soul pieces, it is essential that someone knows how to play the Song of Life. But that song has been outdated; the lyrics have been lost to time…"**_Reshiram adds slowly. _**"I doubt that anyone remembers it today…"**_

Crystal and Blackfire's faces fall. Seeing the girls' hopeless looks makes the God feel almost pitiful. Zekrom gives Reshiram a look. Reshiram hesitates before he sighs. _**"But it looks like we are going to have to break the rules even more…"**_

Crystal and Blackfire look up curiously.

"_**Zoroark knows how to play the song. He will be willing to help us with this situation. Therefore, we will bring him back to life and send him down to Earth to play the song so you will be revived. We will also send down more allies with him so they can help your friends find the soul pieces."**_

Crystal looks stunned. "You're willing to break the biggest rule of bringing back the dead just to save me…?"

"_**It's important that a relation of both Zekrom and I continue living on Earth. Arceus is still alive, but Blackfire's death has made things difficult. You are the last link of both of us that can keep the balance of life intact. So yes, we are willing to break the rules to save you."**_

"_**Besides, we're your grandparents. We're supposed to spoil you."**_ Zekrom jokes. Crystal smiles weakly.

"Should I tell my friends that Zoroark and his allies are going to be down there…?" Crystal asks.

Reshiram shrugs. _**"It's a wise choice, but do as you wish. Your main task is to find out what your soul pieces are and to alert the others about them. Once you revive, Zoroark and his allies will help you with your battle against Darkstar. Try to find a way to defeat him."**_

"Easier said than done." Crystal snorts. Zekrom chuckles. _**"Not everything will set in a silver platter, sweetie."**_ He smiles sweetly while his granddaughter huffs. Suddenly she squirms uncomfortably as she looks at her body.

"Can I transform back into my Grovyle form? I prefer two legs and this fur is so itchy…"

The grandparents laugh. _**"Of course."**_ Suddenly Crystal feels her body changing shape and soon she transforms back into her black and white Grovyle self. She smiles as she stretches her arms. It's good to be back in her regular form.

She smiles as she wraps her arms around her grandfathers' snouts. "Thanks, Grandpas." The Gods chuckle as they nuzzle against their granddaughter.

Blackfire smiles as she watches her daughter hugging the Gods. Suddenly she feels lightheaded and her form begins to turn transparent. She looks at herself and her eyes widen before she groans. "Not now…"

_Don't lose your way_

_With each passing day_

_You've come so far_

_Don't throw it away_

_Live believing_

_Dreams are for weaving_

_Wonders are waiting to start_

_Live your story_

_Faith, hope, and glory_

_Hold to the truth in your heart_

Soon Crystal notices that her mother's body is fading and lets go of her grandparents. She walks up to Blackfire and looks confused while her grandparents look grim. "Mom? What's happening to you?" She asks worriedly as she hugs her mother's leg.

_If we hold on together_

_I know our dreams will never die_

_Dreams see us through to forever_

_Where clouds roll by_

_For you and I_

"… I… I think that it's time to say goodbye, Crystal…" Blackfire says slowly as glowing bubbles begin to flow around her. Crystal looks even more confused.

"Goodbye?"

_Souls in the wind_

_Must learn how to bend_

_Seek out a star_

_Hold on to the end_

_Valley, mountain_

_There is a fountain_

_Washes our tears all away_

_Words are swaying_

_Someone is praying_

_Please let us come home to stay_

Tears brim Blackfire's eyes as she leans down to nuzzle her daughter. This may be the last time that she will hold her child again. "My time has come. You must continue your journey without me."

"W-What…?" Crystal splutters as she notices her mother's body turning even more transparent.

_If we hold on together_

_I know our dreams will never die_

_Dreams see us through to forever_

_Where clouds roll by_

_For you and I_

Horrified, Crystal holds her mother's snout tightly. "Mother, please! Don't leave me! I need you!" She cries. Blackfire smiles weakly. "Crystal, I want you to promise me that you will fulfill the prophesy no matter what happens. Protect the others with your life. Know that I'll always be with you even at your most desperate times. I will watch over you when you find your own mate and produce children of your own. They will mean to you as much as you mean to me."

_When we are out there in the dark_

_We'll dream about the sun_

_In the dark, we'll feel the light_

_Warm our hearts, everyone_

Crystal begins to cry when she could no longer feel her mother. The ghostly form of Blackfire begins to walk away from Crystal as more bubbles enshroud her. "Mother! You can't leave me!" Crystal cries.

Blackfire turns to look at Crystal. Her lavender eyes glow as she smiles. "I will always be with you, Crystal. Fulfill your destiny." Soon the qilinlike being leans her head back and lets her tears fall as the bubbles surround her. Soon her body turns into small bubbles and joins the glowing balls as they flow away from the silent lizard. Crystal's tearful eyes gaze at the bubbles as they take her mother away. She says nothing when Reshiram places his hand on her back comfortingly.

"_**Don't worry. You'll see your mother again."**_ Reshiram says softly. Crystal is silent before she nods and wipes the tears away from her eyes. Blackfire is now in a better place; she will never have to cry or suffer again. In a sense, she is free from Terotrey. Crystal has kept her promise, but she still needs to fulfill her mother's last wish.

"I promise, Mother. I won't let you down."

_If we hold on together_

_I know our dreams will never die_

_Dreams see us through to forever_

_As high as souls can fly_

_The clouds roll by_

_For you and I._

**Feedback or comments, please!**


	21. Chapter 21: Pieces and Dreams

**Next update! Almost there! Zarko belongs to Airman0007.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 21: Pieces and Dreams**

"Listen, I am only going to say this once; Crystal is in there, and that means _I am going in there._"

Violet stares irritably at the rock Legendaries as they block the entrance to the Hall of Origins. While her friends look worriedly over her shoulder, Violet argues with the Legendaries about seeing Crystal's body. However, the stubborn trio wouldn't move since they were given orders to keep everyone excluding the Legendaries and their close allies out of the council room. But Violet isn't going to give up on the argument; she was created by a man that makes even Giovanni look like Mary Poppins.

"Don't give me that 'We Legendaries will handle everything' crap." Violet growls. "Do you take us for idiots? I am a clone of a Legendary for Arceus' sake! We know what's going on and we want to see our friend!"

"I'm sorry, but we can't let you enter." Regice sighs tiredly. "Arceus has given us specific orders to not let anyone that isn't our close allies inside."

"But we _are_ close allies of Crystal!" Laki insists. "We're Crystal's closest friends and practical family! We know her! And you're saying that we aren't close allies?"

"Did Arceus _specifically_ say that _we_ can't enter?" Violet snaps dangerously. Suddenly the Legendaries look uncomfortable as they glance at each other for help.

"Well-"

"Did Arceus specify us?"

"Arceus just said-"

"_Did he or did he not specify us?"_Violet suddenly looks malicious as she glares at the Legendaries.

Registeel then sighs and slumps his shoulders in defeat. "… No."

Violet places her hands on her hips and looks relieved while she shakes her head. "I didn't think so. Now if you'll excuse us…" The phantom forcefully pushes away the Legendaries and makes her way through the golden doors. Her friends follow while the Legendaries scramble up to their feet and chase after them.

"No! You cannot go inside! No people other than the Legendaries and their allies can enter!"

The Pokémon ignore them as they rush down the stairs towards the pedestal. They ignore the Legendaries' exclaims of surprise as they reach to the middle of the stairs. They look around carefully. The Hall of Origins is unusually quiet. All the Legendaries are in their seats as they quietly talk to themselves. The exiles stand beside their close relatives as they look at the Pokémon in surprise. Crystal is lying on her back in the middle of the pedestal. She would have looked like she is sleeping had the heroes not known what is really going on. Arceus is resting behind his daughter and he looks like his life has been drained from him. Although most of his wounds are gone, his fur has turned into a cream color and his once gold eyes are now dull and lifeless. Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash sit around Crystal and look helpless. The human and tiger are crying while the phantom looks worried. Their close friends stand behind them as they try their best to comfort them. Eclipso and Saberspark are beside their brothers; the tiger looks distressed while Eclipso is crying as he cradles Crystal's cheek fondly. They look up in surprise when Crystal's friends enter the room.

Suddenly the rock Legendaries catch up to the Pokémon and grab their arms. "You can't be in here!" Regirock shouts. The Pokémon protest and wrestle against the trio to be free.

"You'll find out that we are allowed in here as much as everyone else is!" Rocky snaps as he roughly pushes against Regirock. Regirock refuses to give up and holds the Rhyperior by the neck while Ribo and Gallade try to make him let go.

"You can't be in here!" Regice shouts as she drags Laki away by her arms. Suddenly Violet loses it.

"Oh, for damn's sake! Get a grip, all of you!" She shouts furiously. Everyone turns silent as they gape at Violet in shock. Violet glares at the rocky Legendaries. "We have a serious life and death situation and you're concerned about who isn't allowed in this room? In case you don't realize it, this situation affects everyone! If Crystal and Arceus die, then chaos will lurk and Terotrey will make things worse! As Crystal's friends, we can help you find out how to save her! Now you better let us go or I will not hesitate to rip off your arms and have no regrets about assaulting the Legendaries! Don't believe me? Ask Darkrai; I nearly burnt him up when we first met."

Everyone is speechless while Darkrai looks outraged by Violet's outburst. Before the rocks could say anything, Zarko walks up and stands between the bickering groups. He glares disapprovingly at the Pokémon. "Stop it, all of you." He glances at the Legendaries. "You three go back to your seats." Then he looks at Crystal's friends. "And as for you six, the Legendaries recognize you. You may enter."

"Thank you!" Violet rolls her eyes before she moves away from the Legendaries and floats towards Crystal. The trio look a bit annoyed before they do what they are told and release the Pokémon. Laki rubs her shoulders as she glances at Zarko. "Wait… How did you get in here?"

Zarko shrugs. "I have known the Legendaries for centuries; I used to be a part of Reshiram and Zekrom's army long ago. They paid me with immortality for my services."

Laki says nothing and only nods in understanding. That was strangely more than specific. Then the Pokémon rush over to sit next to Crystal's body.

Laki gently takes Crystal's hand and holds it tightly. "Cryssy…"

"Any progress so far?" Scalene asks as she places a hand on Crystal's forehead. Eclipso says nothing and continues to tremble. Darkrai places a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. He shakes his head. "Nothing… She hasn't changed at all…"

Then Gallade looks at Arceus. He walks over to the God and kneels beside the exhausted Legendaries' head. He places a hand on his cheek. "Arceus, Sir?"

Arceus groans as he looks at the warrior tiredly. "Yes? What is it?" His voice sounds weak and croaky.

Gallade knows that the God barely has any energy left so he speaks quickly. "We need to know something. You said that Crystal's soul shattered; surely you know how to fix this situation?"

Everyone is silent as they stare at the duo expectantly. Arceus groans again. "Yes, there is a way. But it will be very difficult…"

"I'm sure that we can handle it," Ribo walks up to the God and runs his hand carefully but soothingly through the Legendaries' forehead. "If we can handle Terotrey, then this shouldn't be too hard."

Arceus looks indifferent. "You misunderstand me. This task will require time and critical thinking, not strength. You will need to find Crystal's soul pieces and bring them here so we can fix her soul."

Raikou stands up and looks at the God. "But how do we know what her soul pieces are and how to find them? How many are there?"

Arceus groans when he feels a stab in his stomach. He glances at the Jewel of Life in Deoxys' hands and notices how its color seems to have turned dim. "Reshiram and Zekrom have explained this situation to me. It depends on a person's purity. Since Crystal has a very powerful aura, she must have at least seven pieces."

"Seven soul pieces?" Raikou cries out, horrified. The Legendaries yell out in outrage and shock. "But they could be anything!"

"I'm glad that you finalized the problem, Raikou." Arceus states wryly before he groans. "But what helps is that the seven soul pieces represent the seven essential qualities that a person must have to be alive. Those seven qualities are the heart, the mind, the feelings, the choice, the spirit, the free will, and the love. Crystal must have some sort of possessions that represent those."

"Crystal doesn't usually collect stuff. She's too busy with the war against Terotrey to take interest in having personal stuff." Violet shrugs.

Ribo looks thoughtful as he stares at Crystal's body. "What about people? Can people represent soul pieces?"

Arceus looks intrigued. "What do you mean?"

"Crystal was always close to her mother. She has never cherished anything more than the one person that she has fought hard to earn her freedom. I think that her mother might represent her soul piece for love."

Suddenly Crystal's body glows brightly. When the light dims, her skin looks less pale and Arceus' eyes seem to have regained their color.

"What just happened?" Rocky blinks.

"You found one of her soul pieces!" Arceus' voice sounds somewhat better and less croaky. Darkrai raises his brows. "How did we find it? We can't even see it…"

Arceus raises his head and nudges Crystal's body. "Crystal is a part of Blackfire. She has her mother's DNA, so her blood represents her soul piece of love."

"That makes no sense, but OK…" Ribo looks confused before he shrugs. "At least we got six more soul pieces to find…"

Ash taps his chin thoughtfully as he gazes at Crystal's body. If one of her soul pieces is a person, then is it possible that…?

He gazes at the six commanders. "Hey, guys. This sounds crazy, but I think I know what to do. Stand around Crystal and manifest your affinities into her."

The Pokémon raise their brows at the strange request. Then they shrug and do what they are told. Eclipso, Darkrai, Saberspark, and Raikou stand beside Arceus as they watch the Pokémon surround Crystal. Soon the Pokémon relax and summon their affinities. Their affinities shoot up and form a rainbow ball above Crystal's body. The Pokémon don't let go of their beams as they look at Ash expectantly.

"What's this all about, Ash?" Raikou tilts his head in confusion. Ash looks incredibly pensive as he stares at the rainbow ball. Then he looks at the commanders. "You know how Crystal said that you perform affinity rituals every month to thank the Legendaries for life and to bless the deceased spirits of our ancestors?"

The commanders are silent but they nod.

"Well, can you use them to call out to Crystal's spirit and see if we can gather up her soul pieces?"

Everyone is silent as they look thoughtful. "That's possible… But we only have one of her soul pieces. We don't have a hunch as to what the other ones are." Arceus murmurs.

"I do." Ash smiles. The Pokémon blink and wait for him to continue. The human starts to circle around the Pokémon as he gazes at Crystal's body.

"You say that Crystal doesn't collect items, so the chances of the soul pieces being any item in the world is very slim. But since her love for her mother represents her soul piece for love, that means that Ribo could be right; the other soul pieces could actually be people."

Ash stops behind Laki and places a hand on her back. The Lucario jumps from the unexpected touch but waits for Ash to say something. Ash smiles at her. "Laki has been with Crystal ever since they escaped from Terotrey together. Those two have been the closest friends from that day on and they rely on each other with everything. They have the same intentions, logic, and beliefs. They both have the same heart. I believe that Laki represents Crystal's soul piece of the heart."

Suddenly Laki's form illuminates a bright aura until her affinity beam thickens and shoots at Crystal's body. The lizard glows for a bit before her skin turns whiter. Laki gasps as she stumbles back and stops using her affinity. She runs a paw through her face while Ash supports her. Everyone is gaping in shock by Ash's apparently correct theory. Arceus looks surprised as his eyes seem to brighten in hope. Then Ash lets go of Laki and walks behind Ribo.

"Ribo has been loyal to Crystal ever since he joined her army. Ribo is probably one of the most brilliant Pokémon in this room and he always thinks of ways to help his friends' situations. He and Crystal think alike and they rely on each other greatly because of that. I think that Ribo represents Crystal's soul piece of the mind."

Suddenly Ribo glows as his affinity shoots at Crystal. The lizard glows again and Ribo stumbles back from the sudden lightheadedness he was having. He breathes heavily as he stares at Ash disbelievingly. Ash only smiles and turns to Gallade.

"Gallade is the best friend and warrior that anyone can ask for. He is as considerate as he is brave. He has the purest intentions when it comes to his feelings. He is always honest with Crystal about how he feels and she always helps him through all the troubles that he has gone through. Therefore, I believe that Gallade represents Crystal's soul piece of the feelings."

Gallade stumbles back when his affinity shoots at Crystal and makes her glow. The warrior falls down and clutches his chest as he tries to breathe. Soon he feels gentle paws holding his shoulders and he turns to see Laki smiling at him. Gallade could help but smile as he wraps an arm around her shoulder. It appears that Laki has accepted his feelings for her and wishes to try to start a relationship. The duo turn to look at Ash and wait for him to continue.

The human stands between Rocky and Scalene. "Rocky and Scalene are probably two of the best fighters here. So far they are two of the very few robots that Terotrey doesn't have any control over. Their strong determination has saved them from their fate and they choose to protect life. They give us hope with their optimism even at the most hopeless times. I think that Scalene and Rocky represent Crystal's soul pieces for the spirit and the choice."

Suddenly the robots let out a gasp and stumble back as their affinities hit Crystal's body. They stare at Ash in shock while the human turns to Violet.

"Violet may not seem like the typical Goth girl that everyone dubs her as, but she is still a living being as much as we all are. Although she is a clone that Terotrey has made, she has the one thing that not many clones have; free will. She has chosen to stand up to Terotrey and fight against his beliefs. I believe that she is Crystal's soul piece of the free will."

Suddenly Violet's affinity lets out a large flash of light and makes her fly back against Darkrai. The phantoms grunt as they land on each other in an awkward position with Violet being on top. Everyone is stunned as they look at Crystal and Arceus. Crystal looks almost healed and seems to be breathing normally. Arceus looks completely healed as he sits up and looks at Ash in surprise.

Darkrai and Violet stare at each other uncomfortably as they try to untangle their infused bodies. Several Pokémon snicker at the sight while Cresselia looks somewhat jealous.

"U-Um…" Darkrai blushes as he tries to move. Violet isn't making any progress either. "I…"

Entei and Heatran chuckle before they walk up to help separate the duo. Arceus continues to stare at Ash. "Ash, how did you know that Crystal's friends are her soul pieces?" He asks.

The human shrugs as he puts his hands into his pockets. "I had a hunch. Since Violet said that Crystal doesn't have many personal items, I grew confused until Ribo pointed out about people possibly being soul pieces. And then I knew that Crystal was close to her friends because they are the family that she has always wanted."

Crystal's friends look intrigued while Arceus smiles and nods in understanding.

Violet coughs awkwardly as she straightens her skirt and floats as far away from Darkrai as she could reach. Then she straightens up and crosses her arms. "So what now?"

Arceus sighs. "I'm afraid that we are not done quite yet. We still have to do one more thing in order to fix her soul."

"You just said that we needed to find her soul pieces! And now we need to do more?" Violet looks annoyed. Arceus sighs. "I honestly did not think that we'd get to the last step this fast and I apologize for it. But now that we do, hopefully we have enough time to do it."

The God looks at the Jewel of Life in Deoxys' hands. The psychic almost knowingly nods and floats up to give the orb to the God. She places the orb on the ground next to Crystal's body and floats back to her seat. On closer inspection, the heroes notice that the crack is still on the orb.

"In order for the Jewel of Life to be healed, we need to completely fix up Crystal's soul before her soul pieces linger away forever. The only way that we can seal up the pieces is to play the Song of Life with the Azure Flute."

"The what?" Rocky blinks.

"The Azure Flute." Arceus repeats. Then he explains himself better. "It was a gift that Blackfire has given me on our first anniversary. It will heal anything that is on the brink of death. It is the second most powerful item in existence. But unfortunately, I have lost it during an expedition millenniums ago…"

"What does it look like?" Ash asks.

"It's a small ocarina that has a lavender color."

Laki's eyes suddenly widen. "Oh! I think I know what you're talking about! Not that long ago, a couple of our friends have given that same item to Crystal as a gift. But the shell looks so outdated and fragile; Crystal was afraid of using it at first."

Arceus looks hopeful. "Are you sure?" He asks. Laki nods excitedly. "Then where is it?"

"It's in a secured compartment at our base." Ribo answers Laki. "Crystal always places any antiques that her friends give her in there."

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go grab it!" Eclipso demands impatiently. The phantom's robotic appendages almost make him seem intimidating.

Violet snorts. "E, we know that you love Cry, but just chill. She'll be ok." Eclipso blushes at her statement.

Suddenly Ash sounds uneasy. "Guys… Why is the Jewel of Life glowing…?"

Everyone blinks and sees the orb suddenly floating in midair. It glows a bright green color and the whole room turns green from its power.

"Arceus…?" Raikou glances at the God but notices that Arceus looks just as confused as he does. Suddenly the orb shoots green electricity at Darkrai, Raikou, and Ash. The boys scream in pain.

"GUYS!" Jeff cries out. Suddenly the orb stops glowing and falls down into the ground with a clang. The boys groan and tumble down before they faint.

"Oh, no!" Suicune sprints forward and stops beside Raikou as she looks him over. Several Legendaries stand up from their seats and cry out in alarm as they look down at the pedestal. Several of the heroes' allies surround the boys and call out to them.

"Raikou? RAIKOU!"

-ooo-

Raikou groans as he rubs his head. He sits up and tries to adjust his eyes to the sudden brightness. When his vision clears, his eyes widen as he gapes in awe. He is on a cliff that has a large willow tree. But what amazes the tiger is what is beyond the cliff. He is probably staring at the most beautiful valley that has different kinds of trees on one end. A large lake with large waterfalls is placed beside the small forest. Huge mountain walls surround the valley and the sun sets behind the cliffs to create a beautiful sunset. While the skies range different colors of orange, gold, and purple, the grass turns into a beautiful shade of gold. Raikou closes his eyes and sighs as he feels the gentle summer breeze. This place truly is heavenly…

"You have got to be kidding me…"

Raikou blinks and turns his head. He is surprised when he sees Darkrai and Ash sitting against the willow tree. The phantom rubs his head tiredly as he looks around. He looks somewhat amazed but annoyed by the sight. Then he glances at Raikou and looks surprised. Then he floats over to the tiger. "Tell me that you're seeing this too…"

"Yep, I see it." Raikou nods as he gazes back at the magnificent valley. Darkrai snorts as he crosses his arms. "I hoped that this was some sort of a dream. I dreamt that we have found Crystal's soul pieces and then the Jewel of Life shot us down. Heh. If only it came true; we would have saved a lot of time."

Raikou blinks before he furrows his eyes. "Darkrai, that did happen. I think that we're just sharing a dream right now…"

Darkrai groans and slaps his forehead. "Oh, good freaking grief…"

Suddenly Ash groans and the duo turn to look at him. Ash rubs his eyes before he looks around. When he sees the valley, his eyes widen and he jumps up to his feet. "What the-? How did we get here?"

"You tell us." Darkrai shrugs as he gazes at the valley. The boys stand on the cliff side by side and look at the valley. They think about the same question; where are they and how did they get there?

Suddenly they hear giggles and glance at each other. "Did you say something?" Raikou asks. Darkrai and Ash frown as they shake their heads. Suddenly the giggling erupts again and the boys look around for the source.

"Boys…" The voice coos. The boys tense up as the look around cautiously. For some reason, the voice sounds familiar.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Darkrai demands as he pushes Raikou and Ash behind him. "Look down, silly…" The voice giggles again.

The boys blink before they look over the cliff. They see a white being waving up at them cheerfully. "Crystal!" Raikou grins as soon as he recognizes the girl. "You're OK!"

Crystal doesn't say anything. She only smiles up at the boys before she turns and suddenly runs towards the forest.

"Hey, wait! Come back!" Raikou cries. He doesn't even think when he slides down the cliff and chases after the fleeing lizard.

"Raikou, wait!" Darkrai holds out a hand to stop the tiger, but he is too late. He grumbles and shakes his head. "Oh, for the love of Arceus…" Then he glances at Ash and unexpectedly hoists the boy onto his back before he flies after the tiger. Ash cries out in alarm and holds onto Darkrai tightly.

Suddenly Crystal stops before the forest and looks back at Raikou. The tiger stops to catch his breath and stares at Crystal. The lizard winks at him before she bolts through the thick foliage. "Crystal, wait!" Raikou protests as he stands up. Why is she toying with him…?

Just as he is about to enter the forest, Darkrai suddenly floats in front of him and holds out his arms. Ash shakily releases Darkrai and stumbles as he shakes away his lightheadedness. Darkrai places his fists on his hips as he glares at Raikou. "It's my turn now, Raikou. I have a very bad feeling about this whole thing. I'm sensing that this girl is dark and mysterious. It could just be a mirage or a shape-shifting Pokémon that is luring us into a trap. If we start talking to her or even get too close to her, then she can transform into something dangerous and ingest us and spit out our bones!"

Raikou stares at Darkrai as if he is demented before he shakes his head. "What is it with Goths and their unnaturally dark fantasies?"

Darkrai doesn't look amused as he glances over his shoulder. Then he turns back to Raikou. "OK, I'm not in the mood for wisecracks. If you want to play a game, then let's play the 'let's not die' game like we have been doing for the past several days!"

"Do you want to get out of here and find Crystal?" Raikou asks seriously.

"Of course I do!" Darkrai barks.

"Well, then how do we know that she's dangerous unless we talk to her and hope for the best?" Raikou rolls his eyes. He smirks when Darkrai splutters out excuses. "Come one, just trust me on this!"

Darkrai is about to object before he pauses. They don't really have any way to get back and the girl seems to know the place very well…

He sighs softly. "All right…"

Raikou nods and leads the group into the forest. Ash stays close to the Legendaries as they look around for the lizard. They keep looking for several minutes and vaguely wonder how hard it is to find a white lizard. Ash decides to play 'I Spy' to ease the tension and to pass by the time. But during the entire search, Ash always picks on Darkrai as his guess.

"OK, I'm thinking of something dark and tall…"

Darkrai looks around worriedly. "Me. The next one is just a guess: me." Ash gazes at the phantom weirdly. "OK, that's just creepy…"

"Wait a moment…" Darkrai stops when he sees a tree and floats closer to it. On the bark are three claw marks. "I have definitely seen these claw marks before. Then that means that we already passed by here and that we're going around in circles and that we're not going straight!"

Darkrai begins panicking and makes the rash decision to float over the trees. But before he could get a few feet off the ground, Raikou grabs his skirt and hoists him back down. He grabs the phantom's face and silences the phantom.

"Relax." Raikou orders soothingly as he lets go of the phantom. "Take a deep breath." The phantom and tiger do so slowly. Once he sees Darkrai calming down, he smiles. "Now let's ask someone for directions."

Darkrai glares at him. "Who are you gonna ask? The trees? There's nobody here!"

Suddenly a giggle erupts and the boys freeze at their spots. Raikou looks around when he hears rustling. "Crystal?"

Suddenly movement catches Raikou's attention and he sees a glowing form skipping through the foliage. The being turns to smile wryly at Raikou before she walks away gracefully. Raikou follows her while Darkrai and Ash cautiously follow.

Crystal twirls around as she smiles at the boys. She leads them through the forest until she stops at an open meadow. She turns to the boys and they notice that she looks almost transparent. Crystal holds her hands together. "I'm glad that you guys are OK."

Darkrai narrows his eyes at the girl. "Crystal, is that really you? Is this a dream?"

"Yes, I'm real and this isn't a dream."

"Prove it."

Crystal smirks. "You guys witnessed me using Judgment on Terotrey's robots when we first met. I also promised Darkrai that I would help take care of his children when they were born. And Darkrai is the one who found out that I was Arceus' daughter."

Darkrai suddenly looks relieved. "It really is you."

"Of course it's me." Crystal smiles as she holds up her hand to a tree branch. Suddenly the tree moves lower until Crystal picks out four Oran Berries. The tree moves back to its original position as Crystal tosses the boys a berry each. She takes a bite out of her berry. "And this place is just an illusion. It's a world that I have created with my imagination."

Ash cautiously takes a bite out of his berry as he stares at Crystal. "How did we get here?"

Crystal smiles. "Easy. I brought you here."

Darkrai blinks before he narrows his eyes. "So _you_ shot that electrical beam at us?"

Crystal smirks and nods. "Sorry; I didn't mean for it to hurt you. I needed to knock you guys out so your spirits could join me in the afterlife."

The boys choke and drop their berries. After they regain their breaths, they stare at Crystal in horror. "We're dead?" Raikou cries out. Crystal couldn't help but laugh at the boys and shakes her head. "Nah, just messing with you."

"That's not funny!" Raikou snaps as he glares at Crystal. The lizard calms down but looks amused. "Seriously, where are we?"

"I just told you. We're in my fantasy world." Crystal gestures to the valley that is hidden behind the foliage. "This place is a figment of my imagination." Then she points at herself. "This form is also a figment of my imagination; my actual spirit is in the afterlife waiting for something to happen. I used my powers to call out to your boys' minds while you were unconscious."

Darkrai frowns. "So in other words, you're calling out to us through a dream?"

"Precisely."

Raikou wastes no time in getting to the point. "OK, so what exactly happened to you? Are you doing OK?"

Crystal smiles at his thoughtfulness. "I feel fine. Actually, I have never been better. By the way, my mother sends her regards to you."

"Blackfire? Where is she? Is she OK?"

Suddenly Crystal looks sad as she looks down at her feet. "She's doing fine now. She's in a better place."

The boys know exactly what she means and look sympathetic.

"However, my grandparents Reshiram and Zekrom have told me there is a way to save my life. That is why I have called you three; I will need your help."

"Reshiram and Zekrom are your grandparents?" Darkrai asks in disbelief. Crystal shakes her head. "I know that it's shocking, but please bear with me on this. It's important."

"Arceus told us already." Darkrai says flatly. "He said that we needed to gather up your soul pieces and to play the Azure Flute when the pieces are in your body."

Crystal blinks before she looks thoughtful. "It looks like my father has told you about the situation then. Then you need to help me figure out what my soul pieces are."

"We already have!" Raikou grins happily. "We know that you don't keep personal items, so we thought that it might be possible that the soul pieces are people! We found out that your mother represents the love, that Laki represents the heart, that Ribo represents the mind, that Gallade represents the feelings, that Rocky and Scalene represent the choice and the spirit, and that Violet represents the free will! When your friends summoned their affinities, they manifested them into your body and healed you and Arceus up! All we need now is the Azure Flute!"

Crystal looks absolutely stunned by the discovery. Then realization hits her and she smiles almost proudly. "Great work! This has progressed a lot faster than I thought that it would."

"Laki told us that the Azure Flute might be the shell that you have stored in the island!" Raikou grins again. "All we need to do is grab it and play it next to you!"

Suddenly Crystal frowns and she rubs her arms uneasily. "About that… Does anyone know the actual song to bring me back to life?"

The boys blink. "Arceus didn't say anything about a specific song…" Darkrai says slowly.

Crystal sighs. "Well, someone needs to play the Song of Life in order for the resurrection to work. But the song has been outdated and forgotten; even the other Legendaries don't remember how to play it."

Suddenly the boys look disappointed and hopeless. Crystal smiles reassuringly. "But don't worry; someone on Earth knows of the song."

The boys look up at Crystal. Suddenly Crystal's form begins to fade and she looks disappointed. "Guys, I don't have much time before I need to send you back. Just know this; you have done your jobs. All you need to do is wait. The person who knows of the song is an ally of Reshiram and Zekrom and he will arrive soon. Just don't go anywhere; Darkstar may be around and he will hunt you down. I still need to teach you on how to summon your affinities and auras if you ever have the chance to encounter him. He is more powerful than before and everyone needs to be careful."

"But what about you?" Raikou looks worried. "What will happen to you while we wait?"

Crystal smiles as she steps up to the boys. Her form begins to turn even more transparent. "Don't worry about me. I'll stay here until the song brings me back. I promise that nothing will happen to me. Just make sure that the others stay safe."

"We promise, Crystal." Raikou smiles as he hugs Crystal. Darkrai and Ash join in on the hug until they feel Crystal's form disappearing. Suddenly a flash of light erupts and the boys shield their eyes. They can hear Crystal's voice calling out to them.

"I believe in you boys…"

-ooo-

"Raikou… RAIKOU! We know that you aren't dead, so wake up!"

Suddenly Raikou feels water splashing on his face. He gasps and sits up as he looks around. He is back in the Hall of Legends with his friends and allies. Everyone is staring at him with worried or confused looks. Violet and Ribo are obviously the ones who woke Raikou since they have buckets in their arms.

Raikou sighs and shakes the water off his fur. He looks beside him and sees Darkrai and Ash spluttering as they gasp for breath. Ash removes his wet hair from his face while Darkrai scowls at Violet and Ribo.

Jeff walks up to Raikou and pats his leg worriedly. "You OK, dude?"

Everyone notices that the boys are unusually calm and not snapping at Violet and Ribo for waking them up. They actually look tired as they stare at Crystal's body before they glance at each other.

Jeff nudges Raikou's leg again. "What happened, dude? First you were all like 'Whoa!' And we were all like 'Whoa!' Then you were all like 'Whoa…'"

Raikou glances at Darkrai and Ash. The boys nod to him before they turn to face the room full of Pokémon. "Guys… There's something we need to tell you…"

**I really want more feedbacks on this story, please! Any comment would be appreciated! Leave a vote for updating this story more often on my profile!**


	22. Chapter 22: Memories and Discovery

**Almost there! Feedback and comments, please! Votes for updating this story more on my profile!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 22: Memories and Discovery**

A dark, furry creature roams through the thick foliage. He speeds through the trees so fast that he looks like a dark blur. He narrows his sapphire eyes as the wind blows through his face. Then he stops right at the heart of the forest in an open meadow. He breathes deeply as he looks around cautiously. In closer inspection, he looks like a dark grey fox with thick red hair that is tied up into a ponytail. He clenches his red claws as he narrows his eyes as his pointed ears twitch at every sound made.

Suddenly a twig snaps and he turns around to snarl at the intruder. But when he notices that it is his ally, he sighs and relaxes.

"Were you going to attack me, Zoroark?" The Cacturne chuckles as he walks up to the humanoid fox. The plant being has a black vest and belt on while his brown cowboy hat briefly covers his vision. His dark gold eyes look amused.

Zoroark shrugs. "You can never be too careful, Logan. Based on what Reshiram has said, Darkstar is somewhere out here and I don't want to be careless."

Logan chuckles and nods. "Too true."

"What's this?" A female voice speaks up sassily. The boys turn and see a shiny pink Lopunny walking up to them with arms crossed and a smirk on her lips. Next to her are a shiny red Absol with blue eyes and a small gray fox with blue eyes. The fox looks like a miniature version of Zoroark.

"First we run halfway across the world in search of a stupid shell, and now I find out that two of my best friends are trying to kill each other." The Lopunny clicks her tongue and shakes her head. "What will our bosses think?"

"Shaddup, Cotton." Logan chuckles. "It was a misunderstanding."

Cotton only scoffs and sticks her nose up into the air. Logan smirks as he wraps an arm around the rabbit. "Don't be that way. Even a big softie like you can make mistakes." Suddenly Logan pauses before he laughs. "Ha! Get it? Softie? Because you're covered with cotton?" Soon he and Cotton giggle while the other three Pokémon shake their heads.

Then Zoroark faces the small fox. "So did you guys get it?"

"Sure did, Big Bro." The little fox grins as he digs through his small patch of hair and presents the Azure Flute to Zoroark. Zoroark smiles and holds up the flute before he frowns. "This is it? It looks so simple…"

"Reshiram said that it was a purple ocarina and that shell fits the description." The Absol named Midnight shrugs.

"Now can we go save what's-her-name?" Cotton whines. Zoroark smiles patiently. "First of all, Arceus' daughter has a name." He pauses before he frowns. "But Reshiram didn't mention it, so we'll find out when we go into the Hall of Origins."

"The Hall of Origins?" Logan asks in disbelief. "But no one other than the Legendaries can go into that place!"

"Zekrom has given us the directions of where to find it." Zoroark says coolly. "And only Arceus will be there to watch over his daughter's body. He shouldn't be too much trouble for you three."

"You three?" Cotton blinks. Zoroark smiles. "Yes. Zorua and I will go look out for Darkstar while you three go get the princess and bring her back to our hideout. I will play the Song of Life then and help Arceus' daughter regain her strength."

Cotton groans as she rubs her eyes. "And nothing that we say will change your mind?"

"Nope." Zoroark smiles as he crosses his arms. Logan sighs. "Fine, let's just get this over with."

Soon Cotton, Logan, and Midnight leave the foxes and rush through a different part of the forest towards their destination. Zorua and Zoroark watch them go until everything is silent. Then the small fox turns to his older brother. "OK, Zo. Start talking."

"Hmm?" Zoroark blinks and looks down at his brother in surprise. Zorua narrows his eyes. "You know what I'm talking about. Something is bugging you. You've been quiet since we came back to life hours ago."

Zoroark sighs. Zorua may be young, but he is clever. The duo have shared a mental link since Zorua's birth and their link usually alerts each other about their feelings or thoughts. This is primarily why Zoroark trusts his little brother above everyone else; no one knows him better than his own sibling does.

Zoroark sighs again as he sits against a large boulder. He cups his chin as Zorua sits next to him.

"It's just… It's just that I've been thinking. Why would Reshiram and Zekrom choose us out of all Pokémon to revive Arceus' daughter? I mean, there are other Pokémon in the afterlife that know of the song, but the Gods must have chosen us for a specific reason."

Zorua is silent as he stares at his brother. "Zoroark, you haven't been this skeptical about the Gods' orders before Crystal showed up. Could she have anything to do with this?"

Zorua immediately regrets saying that. Zoroark's face crumples into pain as sadness overwhelms his heart. Zorua knows exactly what happened between Zoroark and Crystal; he was there to witness the lovers' deaths. Zorua's eyes dim in guilt when he sees his strong brother suddenly looking defeated and isolated. "I'm sorry, Z. I didn't mean to-"

Suddenly Zoroark reaches out and grabs Zorua. He holds the fox tightly to his chest. "It's all right, Zorua. But you're right; Crystal has changed me."

Zorua looks up and sees a sad smile on Zoroark's face. "Crystal has given me hope. She didn't see me as a high-ranking officer, but as a normal person. I never thought I could love someone as much as I had loved her. She has made me happy; more than I have ever felt in my life." Suddenly he looks pained. "But everything backfired when I found out that she was Darkstar's spy. Even though she has said that she quits working for him, I have hurt her in an unforgivable way. I practically caused both of our deaths. And what's worse, I cannot find her soul in the afterlife. But I know that she must still be out there somewhere. I just know it."

Zorua is impressed by his brother's deep words. He pats his shoulder comfortingly. "I know that you both loved each other. Crystal was good for you. I knew that the moment I met her."

Zoroark smiles and the brothers look up at the night sky silently. The moon shines brightly as the stars twinkle. "Do you really think that Crystal is out there?" Zorua asks hopefully.

Zoroark smiles as he stands up and places his brother onto the ground. "We can only hope, Zorua. We can only hope. You ready to go?"

"Yep!" Zorua nods and Zoroark leans down to stand on all four paws. Soon his brother jumps onto his back and holds on tightly to his thick red fur. "Hold on tight." Zoroark murmurs before he suddenly bolts forward. He smiles as the cool night breeze blows through his fur. _'I will see Crystal again. I just know it.'_

-ooo-

"Dude, it's been such a long day. Whaddaya say that we get some sleep?" Jeff asks as he sits on Raikou's back and rubs his eyes tiredly.

After Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash have told everyone about Crystal's orders, everyone was skeptical until Arceus decides to follow through his daughter's request. He believes the boys since he has known several cases about spirits calling out to their allies through their dreams. The God dismisses everyone and simply tells everyone to relax while they wait for something to happen. The God will watch over his daughter's body while everyone gets the rest that they deserve. Everyone was a little reluctant about leaving but they decide that it is best to wait for the only person that knows how to play the Song of Life.

While most of the Pokémon and humans return to their homes, the heroes decide to camp out together. They are too tired to return to their own homes and wanted to be close together in case Darkstar was lurking around. They surround the campfire while Laki and Gallade gather some berries for dinner. As the heroes eat, they debate on what Crystal has ordered and are anxious about what will happen next.

Soon after the heroes finish their meals, they put out the fire and prepare to go to sleep. Several Pokémon huddle close for warmth. Suicune nuzzles against Raikou before she drifts off to sleep. Raikou smiles as he watches his counterparts sleeping. He lowers his head and is about to fall asleep when a voice calls out to him.

"Psst! Raikou!"

Raikou blinks and looks around for the caller. To his surprise, he sees Eclipso hiding behind a tree and gesturing the tiger to follow him. Raikou raises a brow before he carefully steps away from his counterparts and follows the phantom through the foliage. They walk quite a distance away before Eclipso stops and turns to the phantom. "Raikou, I need your help." The phantom looks serious. His robotic appendages makes Raikou feel uneasy but he snaps out of his discomfort.

Raikou stares at Eclipso before he frowns. "E, everyone knows that you love Crystal. But please just stop worrying! One would think that you're a stalker if they have seen how much you've stared at her for the past several hours. And don't ask me to give you advice on how to woo her; I really stink at giving tips."

Eclipso isn't amused. He crosses his arms and glares at the tiger. "I'm not here for that Raikou. I'm here about Darkstar. I can't find him anywhere."

Raikou frowns. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I can't track him anywhere. He's nowhere on Earth or even in his dimension."

Raikou frowns. "That's strange… But I wouldn't worry about that right now. He might be hiding to heal himself up. If that's the case, then we really can't do anything about it. We just need to wait for something to happen just as Crystal has told us."

Eclipso looks uneasy. Raikou's expression softens. "E, I understand. I'm worried about Crystal too, but we need to do what she says. She knows what she's doing. You helped raised her so you should know that she won't go down without a fight."

Eclipso smiles. "You're right, Raikou. I apologize for interrupting your sleep. I-"

"It's fine." Raikou shakes his head. Suddenly he yawns and rubs his eyes. Eclipso smiles and places a hand on the tiger's shoulder. "Go to sleep, Raikou. We'll catch up later."

The duo smile at each other before they part away. Eclipso fades into the shadows while Raikou walks back to his campsite. He rests beside Suicune and falls asleep peacefully.

-ooo-

Arceus rests on the pedestal and looks down at his daughter's body. The anxiety of everything that has happened has kept him up and he promised to watch over Crystal's body. He has no idea of how long it would take for something to happen, but all he can do is wait.

He sighs and rests beside his daughter. Maybe a snort nap would help him. But before he could fall asleep, the gold doors slam open and a cold wind surrounds the room. Arceus snaps his heads up in alarm and looks around. He stands up and cautiously hovers over his daughter's body. "Hello?"

No response.

Arceus frowns. "Darkstar? If that is you, then you had better come out. You have already taken away my mate, but you will not take my daughter too."

"Why would we take your mate when she's already dead?" A voice asks. Arceus' eyebrows raise up in surprise when he realizes that it doesn't belong to Darkstar. "Who are you? Show yourself!" Arceus demands. There is silence before three voices speak to each other.

"He wants to see us. Shall we entertain him?"

"No! You heard what the boss said…"

"But we gotta get the job done and he's all alone here…"

"What do you suggest that we do? Knock him out?"

"That may be our only choice…"

"Cotton, can we please do something that doesn't involve hurting others?"

"Can you think of anything?"

"…"

"I didn't think so…"

Arceus stiffens as he looks around for the strangers. Suddenly three beings step out from the darkness and Arceus realizes that they are a cowboy Cacturne, a shiny Lopunny, and a shiny Absol. He couldn't help but wonder if he has seen these three Pokémon before…

"Why are you here?" Arceus asks calmly.

The Absol steps up and looks almost calm. "We are here to pick up your daughter for our boss." None of the Pokémon notice Logan sneaking away behind the God.

"Who is your boss?" Arceus asks. Midnight shakes her head. "We cannot tell you that."

Arceus looks aggravated. "I have every right to know what is going on. You have come into my home unannounced and uninvited. As a father, I have the right to know what you're going to do with my daughter."

The girls look hesitant as they glance at each other. Arceus breathes deeply. "You are not working for Terotrey, are you?"

The girls look up at Arceus in horror and shake their heads. "No!"

Arceus sighs in relief. "Then could I at least know where you are-"

Suddenly Arceus feels something smacking the back of his head. He groans as he falls down to his knees. Stunned, the girls look up and see Logan holding up a metallic pole that he ripped off from one of the pillars. Suddenly Logan realizes what he did and looks horrified as he holds the pole tightly. "Oh, my gosh! I'm just as crazy as my mother!" He grimaces. He looks at the girls for help but they are too speechless to say anything.

Arceus groans as he lifts his head, but Logan instinctively hits the pole over his head again. When Arceus falls down, he panics. "Oh, crap! What did I just do again?"

Arceus raises his head and earns another smack on the pole. "Oh, Arceus what did I just continue to do again?"

Arceus groans and Logan smacks the pole down on him one last time. The final blow makes the God fall unconscious and limp. "… What have I continued to do?"

Exasperated, Cotton storms up and snatches the pole out of Logan's hands. "You idiot!" She looks furious as she smacks the pole onto the Cacturne. The plant groans as he topples over. "He'll be lucky to heal from a tumor after what you did to him!"

Midnight places a paw on the bruise on Arceus' temple. After using her telepathy, she sighs in relief. "He'll be OK. We'll stay unconscious until morning." Then Midnight turns to face the unconscious lizard. "So let's just grab his daughter and…"

She freezes as soon as she stares at the lizard before her. Her face pales as her eyes widen in disbelief and fear. "C-Crystal…?"

Silence falls and the Lopunny and Cacturne walk up to see what has their friend paralyzed. When they see the Grovyle, their eyes grow huge.

Cotton gasps as she places her hands over her mouth. "Oh my goodness…" Logan almost looks afraid as he stares at Crystal's form. Suddenly he kneels down and inspects her form carefully. "It can't be…"

Midnight then takes the risk and senses the aura inside the body. Even though the soul pieces are scattered inside, there is no doubt that it is the same Crystal that they know of. "It _is_ her… But she's only a reincarnation…"

Logan grimaces. "What will we tell Zoroark and Zorua? That Zoroark's long-lost lover is a reincarnation that happens to be Blackfire and Arceus' daughter?" He knows just as much as the girls do that if they bring the body to Zoroark, it will only cause trouble and tension.

Cotton suddenly snaps out of her shock and glares at the duo. "We have to take her to the hideout. Zoroark will have to suck it up; she probably won't even remember who he is if she is a reincarnation!"

Logan and Midnight look horrified. "Cotton, think of what it will do to Zoroark. I can't stand to see his heart break again!" The Absol cries.

Cotton glares at her. "It's either Zoroark or the world! Our mission is to take this kid to the hideout so Zoroark can revive her. I will personally make sure that he does his part of the job! But if we don't revive this kid soon, then chaos will lurk and the balance of life will be broken!"

Midnight and Logan are silent before they sigh. "She's right." Logan mutters as he hoists Crystal up into his arms. "It's almost sunrise. We need to go before the other Legendaries arrive." He turns to Midnight. "Whenever you're ready."

Midnight hesitates before she grimaces. "… OK." She sighs as she holds up a strange ruby amulet hanging from her neck. Suddenly the jewel glows and a red light envelops the Pokémon. Soon the four heroes disappear in a flash of light and leave no trace behind them. Arceus remains unconscious in his spot as the morning breeze blows through the room.

**I want to see more feedback or comments, please!**


	23. Chapter 23: Final Training

**Another update; almost there! More feedback or comments, please! Zarko belongs to Airman0007.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 23: Final Training**

The sun rises high above the valley. Raikou yawns as he stretches his legs. He looks around and is somewhat relieved when he sees everyone else still asleep. He snorts when he sees Rocky and Ribo hugging each other intimately in their sleep. He shakes his head before he walks over to a small pond and drinks the water.

"Kid?" Raikou looks up and sees Darkrai yawning as he scratches his back. He rubs his eyes tiredly as he floats over to the tiger.

"Morning," Raikou mutters before he continues to drink.

"It looks like we will have to separate for a while, huh?" Darkrai muses. Raikou couldn't resist the urge to tease the phantom. He smirks. "Why? You worried that you'll miss me?"

Darkrai narrows his eyes. "You wish." He snorts.

Suddenly a yawn erupts the silence and the boys turn to see that Violet is waking up. The phantom clone stretches her arms before she looks at the boys and floats over to them. "Morning, losers." She says sweetly as she kneels over the small pond. She splashes water over her face before she faces the boys. "You ready to head home?"

"In a little while. We're just waiting for the others to wake up." Raikou responds. Violet frowns as she looks down at her watch. "It's past nine. We need to get going." Suddenly she notices Ribo and Rocky and grins maliciously. She holds up her watch and positions the camera on the side before she snaps a picture of the cuddling duo. She snickers as a holographic pic of the sleeping duo pops up above her watch.

"Two men hugging makes every newspaper funny…" Violet chuckles before she turns off her camera. Then she walks behind a bush and pulls out a small gong and a stick out of nowhere. Raikou and Darkrai raise a brow; Violet must have foreseen that she would have a hard time waking up the Pokémon. They instinctively cover their ears when Violet floats to the middle of the camp.

"TIME TO WAKE UP!" Violet shouts as she smashes the stick against the gong. Suddenly a loud ringing sound echoes in the forest and several birds scatter around. The heroes jump awake in alarm and fear. Suddenly they groan as their heads begin to pound.

"Aah!" Ribo and Rocky yell together as they sit up and wrap their arms around each other. Then they glance at each other and let go hastily. "Aah!" Then they see Violet holding up a large stick and panic as they shield themselves.

"AAH! DON'T KILL US!"

"WE SURRENDER!"

Violet lowers the gong and sweat-drops. "Um… What?" Apparently the boys are slow when they wake up. Suddenly the boys blink and peer up at the bewildered Violet. Then they smile sheepishly and lower their arms.

"Erm, morning homie…" Rocky smiles as he tries to enlighten the mood. Violet huffs and passes by the boys as she looks at the annoyed Pokémon. She frowns when she realizes that Jeff is still asleep. Suddenly she smirks. Darkrai's eyes widen. "Don't!"

He tries to stop her, but it is too late. Jeff wakes up with a girlish shriek and breathes heavily. He looks around with wide eyes until he sees Violet's snickering form. Then everyone realizes that the clone has given the poor flower a nightmare and frown at her. Jeff glares at Violet.

"YOU JERK! I'm telling Crystal on you!" He points at Violet. She shrugs. "Whatever."

Raikou walks between the bickering Pokémon. "Enough, guys. We don't have time to argue with each other. Why don't we all just go home and get some rest until the Legendaries call us?"

Ash sighs as he runs a hand through his hair. "You're right. We need to look out for Darkstar anyways. Who knows where he could be at this point?"

There is silence as everyone glances at each other. Laki steps up. "So we'll see you guys later then?"

Darkrai nods. "Yeah, I guess…"

Suddenly Ash realizes something. "But Raikou, Darkrai, and I need to train on our affinities privately."

Everyone looks surprised by the boys' statement. Ash explains himself better. "Think about it. Crystal and her friends have learned all of their affinities privately. I think that it's best that we find our own ways of accessing our powers alone."

Ribo looks thoughtful before he nods. "That sounds like a good idea, but you're sure that you three will be OK training by yourselves?"

Ash nods. Raikou and Darkrai glance at each other before they nod in agreement. Suddenly Ribo looks unsure. "But just for safety reasons…" He removes his watch and tosses it to a surprised Darkrai. "Use that watch to contact us if anything happens. I'll just grab another one back at the base."

Darkrai nods in understanding as he puts the watch on his wrist. He has seen the Pokémon use their watches numerous times so he knows of how to call them at this point.

"Stay safe," Ribo advises before he gives the boys a hug. The other Pokémon do the same before Violet summons a portal and the six Pokémon disappear. There is silence before Deoxys speaks. "Well, I guess that we'll be leaving too. If anything happens, call us through our watches and we'll come as soon as we can."

Soon the heroes exchange hugs with their allies. Cresselia and Suicune gently nuzzle and kiss their boyfriends before they leave. Only Ash's allies remain behind. Pikachu had a hard time parting from his master but Brock and Dawn successfully drag him away. Brock promises to watch out for Ash's Pokémon while they stay at Pallet Town. As soon as the humans are gone, Ash turns to the Legendaries. He nods to them before he walks through the foliage. Raikou and Darkrai follow him.

"Where are we going?" Raikou asks. Ash looks at the tiger over his shoulder and smiles. "The only place where we can truly find peace and quiet."

-ooo-

After Ash finishes explaining his plan, the Legendaries are skeptical. "You _cannot_ be serious…" Darkrai mutters. The trio are sitting on the grass and form a circle as they make themselves comfortable. Raikou looks confused but intrigued. "You're sure that this will work?"

Ash hesitates before he shrugs. "I hope that it does. If what Crystal has told us is true, then I don't know see why it wouldn't work."

"But how do we even do this?" Raikou asks. Ash pauses. "Crystal said that in order to call out to any spirit, we need to perform a ritual. Remember how Crystal blessed the Legendaries in her last ritual? It might work if you two manifest your Legendary essences while I call out to Crystal for help."

The Legendaries look intrigued and nod before the three boys join their hands. They close their eyes and sigh deeply as the Legendaries think of happy thoughts. Suddenly the yellow and black auras flow from the Legendaries and intertwine in a spiral movement above the circle. Ash begins the small ritual. "Great spirits of the universe, we seek out Crystal's soul and wish to go back into her dream world. We wish to train there so we can find the peace to manifest our affinities and use them to save the world. Help us fulfill our destinies."

Suddenly a gust of wind blows through the trio and they feel lightheaded as the essences erupt in a flash of light. They shield their eyes until a familiar summer breeze flows through them. They slowly open their eyes and smile when they realize that they are back in the beautiful summer valley. They stare at the valley from the cliff and are somewhat surprised when they realize that Crystal isn't around.

"Maybe Crystal is hiding again?" Ash suggests as he squints to look for any sign of the white lizard. Raikou furrows his brows and shakes his head. "Nu-uh. I don't know if she is even aware that we're here…"

Darkrai crosses his arms and looks at Raikou in confusion. "What do you mean? This is her dream world; she must know if someone has invaded her mind. She's a telepath."

"_**But that is where you are wrong, Darkrai. Even this valley has some restrictions."**_ A voice speaks out of nowhere and scares the boys. The trio jump a foot in the air before they look around for the owner of the voice.

Raikou is confused by the statement before he thinks logically. "Crystal is a telepath, but her power only applies to people who are not telepaths and who are alive. But since her soul is shattered… Her power is strained so she cannot sense other beings properly."

Suddenly another voice chuckles and the boys realize that there must be more than one being in the area. _**"Such a smart boy, Raikou. You're a lot smarter than most people give you credit for."**_

Raikou frowns. "Um… Thanks?"

Darkrai relaxes when he notices that the beings aren't enemies. For some reason, they sound familiar. "Who are you?" He demands calmly.

One of the voices chuckles again. _**"Everyone should know who we are."**_

Suddenly two glowing orbs appear beside the heroes. The trio back away in alarm and stare at the black and white orbs. The atmosphere seems to turn calm around the heroes.

"_**We are the Gods of the balance of life, Reshiram and Zekrom. Or as you know, Alpha and Omega. The Yin and the Yang. The creators of good and evil. The light and the darkness."**_

The heroes are speechless as they stare at the orbs. Suddenly they fall down to their knees and bow before the orbs. "Great Alpha and Omega, how may we help you?" Darkrai asks.

One of the orbs chuckle. _**"There is no need for formalities at this point. Any friend of our granddaughter is a friend of ours. We cannot explain how much she cares deeply for you three. She even gave you a full vision of the Valley of Origins."**_

"This is the Valley of Origins?" Raikou asks in disbelief as he looks down at the magnificent area. "But I thought that Crystal created this place through her imagination."

"_**Oh, no. Crystal has the wrong idea. She didn't create this world through her telepathy; she only remembers this place from one of her past lives. This valley is one of her subconscious memories, or déjà vu moments, per say. The only reason that you're here is that she has shared the memory with you; she has shared a past-life experience with you through her telepathy. In your small ritual, it is your determination to return to this memory that has let you return. Crystal has no control of who goes into her memory, even in death."**_

The boys slowly nod in understanding. Then Darkrai gets right to the point. "So what is it you want from us?"

The black orb known as Zekrom chuckles. _**"Darkrai you always are the persistent one. But to answer your question, we are here to tell you about something very important. You are aware that Arceus and Blackfire's lives are essential to keep the balance of life?"**_

When the boys nod, Zekrom continues. _**"There is a reason for that. Arceus is Reshiram's son and Blackfire is my daughter. They carry our essences that balance out life and death. When Crystal was born, she inherited both our essences. But since Blackfire was killed, Crystal carries the last of Zekrom's essence. It is essential that she lives even if Arceus perishes. If anything happens to her, then the balance of life will be broken. Do you understand so far?"**_

The boys nod. Even though they have been aware that Blackfire and Arceus are needed to keep the balance of life, they have a hunch that Crystal would carry their essences. But they are surprised to know that the Gods are the children of Reshiram and Zekrom; it makes a little more sense now.

"_**But you boys have been very helpful. You have gotten half of our job done by finding Crystal's soul pieces. All that is left now is to play the Song of Life to revive her."**_

"And the guy that knows of the song. Is he coming?" Darkrai asks.

"_**He will arrive eventually. Just do what Crystal has told you and wait for something to happen."**_

"Then why are you here? We've already been aware of what you told us." Darkrai mutters. Raikou and Ash give him glares for being disrespectful while Zekrom chuckles. _**"We are here to help you train you with your affinities and aura. Who would be better teachers than the Gods that balance out life?"**_

-ooo-

"_**Relax… Breathe… Focus on your innermost feelings and let them out."**_

Darkrai grumbles as he moves his arms fluently in the direction that Reshiram was describing. It was difficult considering how old he was. When he flipped and landed on his bottom, Zekrom clicks his tongue.

"_**Try again. This time, focus better."**_ Reshiram says in a patient tone. Darkrai glares at the white orb. "We've been practicing this for the last hour! How is it that we can easily summon our essences when we cannot summon our affinities?"

"_**You were manifesting Legendary essence, not affinity essence," **_Zekrom explains calmly. _**"Don't compare them. You must summon your affinity by your feelings; your emotions boosts up your power. Anger boosts up fire; sorrow or calmness boosts up water; peacefulness boosts up Earth; anxiety boots up electricity; pride boosts up air; happiness boosts up light; and hatred boosts up darkness. Your affinities are based on what type of Pokémon you are. Since Raikou is a thunder tiger, his affinity is electricity so he must feel nervous. And since you are a ghost phantom, your affinity is darkness so you must feel hatred for something. Since Ash doesn't have an affinity because he is a human, he must summon his aura by concentrating on peaceful thoughts like Earth affinity users do. If it helps, think about something that has made you anxious, peaceful, or have a hatred for something."**_

The boys groan before they breathe deeply and try again. They think about something that has happened to them that might boost up their powers. Darkrai remembers the first time he unintentionally blasted his dark affinity at Ribo. He truly felt angry and disliked Ribo for his beliefs. But after Ribo has explained that he only said those things to get a reaction out of Darkrai, the phantom let go of his anger so thinking about the memory would do no good.

Then Darkrai thinks about his children. Oh, the poor twins didn't even have a chance to live their lives yet, and it is all thanks to that horrific being of a monster. Darkstar has destroyed everything. Suddenly a boiling rage overwhelms Darkrai and he could feel a dark aura erupting from his soul. He looks at his arms and casually shoots black flames at a nearby boulder in the valley. The impact leaves a large crater on the boulder.

Ash and Raikou blink before Reshiram floats up to Darkrai. _**"Bravo. You now know how to summon your affinity. But if you keep feeling hatred, then the power will increase at dangerously high levels that could overwhelm you. For now, simply move around your arms and feel the power seeping from your soul."**_

Darkrai relaxes a bit and uses the opportunity to move around with his dark affinity. After he gets used to handling his power, he performs more advanced movements. Once he is done, he grins smugly while everyone applauds.

"_**Well done. Before we continue, Ash and Raikou must summon their aura and affinity." **_Zekrom turns to the human and thunder tiger. _**"You try it out. Think of something that makes you nervous or calm."**_

Ash and Raikou nod before they close their eyes and concentrate. Ash had many peaceful moments, but none of them would be good enough. Then he thinks about Pikachu. His best friend has always been there even at the most helpless times. The duo would occasionally argue about some things, but they would never betray each other. Ash always feels calm around Pikachu; he couldn't trust anyone more.

Raikou would have thought that being a Legendary would give him a difficult life, but it actually wasn't that bad. The most terrifying moment he had other than facing Terotrey was his banishment from last month. He had no idea of what would become of him even though Darkrai promised to take care of him.

Suddenly blue electricity flows from Raikou while a glowing orb forms in Ash's palms. The duo blink and look at themselves in shock. Then they instinctively shoot the aura ball and electricity at the boulder target. The boulder grumbles down into small rocks.

"_**You did it!" **_Reshiram cries.

"Isn't this awesome?" Darkrai asks as he floats over to the boys. The duo grin at him. "You bet!" Ash laughs as he summons another aura ball. He makes it large enough so he can ride around on it. He laughs joyfully until he crashes against a tall tree. He groans as he slides down the bark. Raikou and Darkrai snort as they shake their heads at the human.

Zekrom snorts. _**"Now you boys are ready to practice affinity use. It won't take long now that you can control your powers…"**_

-ooo-

When Zekrom defined long, the boys thought that he meant years. But they are surprised when he actually means hours; it took about six hours for the heroes to fully control their new powers. Although they are tired and sore from the movements, it was worth it. The final test was when the Gods manifested imaginary clones of the heroes; they would have to go against each other's clones. The heroes are surprised when they defeat the images, but they are even more surprised to find out that the Gods have fixed up all of their damages on the valley. They figured that Crystal would be very upset with the damage and would give the boys an earful if she ever finds out.

Reshiram and Zekrom float over to the tired heroes. The Pokémon wipe sweat off their foreheads. _**"Well done. You three are ready. But be careful when you summon your affinities; your emotions may get the best of you and overwhelm you. It might even turn against you as the dark affinity turned against Darkstar."**_

"Is that what happened to him? Did he misuse his powers?" Raikou asks. The Gods hesitate before Reshiram sighs. _**"Darkstar has misused his powers to control the world after Zekrom and I controlled it. He has tortured so many Pokémon that we had to banish him and create an army in case he tries to start more trouble. He has been getting more creative and sneaky for the past centuries…"**_

Suddenly a gust of wind blows through the group. _**"Crystal is coming. She won't know that anything has happened here. In a few moments, we will send you back to the real world. Just remember to relax and wait for Crystal to return."**_

The heroes nod until the wind blows again. Darkrai frowns before he covers his nose. "Phew! What is that horrible smell?"

The orbs disappear after Zekrom replies. _**"Your wakeup call."**_

The boys blink before the gust of wind blows through them harder. Suddenly a flash of light erupts and the boys are blinded before they fall unconscious.

-ooo-

"Bleck! This is so disgusting! Why do I have to be the one to do this?"

"Because we already called dibs! Now keep giving that mouth to mouth… Whatever the humans call it!"

"Aw, man…"

"Move aside; I'll do it if all you're going to do is complain."

Darkrai feels pressure on his mouth. At first believing that Cresselia is kissing him, he slides his tongue into the mouth. He freezes when he feels the lips and fangs.

… Since when does Cresselia have fangs?

"EW! GROSS!"

Darkrai snaps his eyes open and finds himself kissing Zarko. Zarko jumps back and splutters out in disgust. Behind the cloaked Lucario, Rayquaza and Latias laugh their heads off. Darkrai blinks until realization hits him. He shrieks out in disgust and wipes his mouth in disgust and humiliation.

Zarko shoots a look of disbelief at Darkrai. "For a Legendary, you're a horrible kisser!" He hisses. This comment makes Rayquaza and Latias laugh harder. Darkrai looks appalled as he glares at the Lucario. Then he looks beside him and notices Raikou and Ash starting to wake up. For some reason, their faces are wet. Then Darkrai notices the buckets in Latias' arms and realizes that she must have tried to wake them up with water.

Then Raikou and Ash notice the situation; Zarko and Darkrai are glaring at each other in disgust while Latias and Rayquaza are laughing at them. They look at the dragons questioningly. Latias giggles before she calms down. "Darkrai just had a little mouth to mouth experience with Zarko."

The boys blink before they stare at Zarko and Darkrai. Suddenly they throw their heads back and laugh. Darkrai looks furious as he crosses his arms. Raikou suddenly smirks mischievously and Darkrai snarls. "If you ever say this to anyone, then I will come find you and kill you in your sleep."

Finally everyone calms down from their hilarity. They smile in amusement before Zarko hisses, "Look, we haven't come here to start drama. This is a huge emergency."

Suddenly Rayquaza and Latias frown and all hilarity is gone from their expressions. Raikou and Ash stop laughing and look concerned while Darkrai raises a brow. "What's wrong?"

Zarko glances at the dragons before he turns to the heroes. "Someone broke into the Hall of Legends last night. Arceus was found unconscious and Crystal's body is missing. Crystal is gone."

**Support and comments, please!**


	24. Chapter 24: Discovery and Resurrection

**Almost there! More feedback and support please! Zarko belongs to Airman0007.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 24: Discovery and Resurrection**

The magnificent doors of the Hall of Legends slam open as the heroes storm down the stairs. The boys look around and stop as soon as they reach the pedestal. They see several human paramedics and officers all over the room. The officers seem to be looking for clues while the paramedics are inspecting the purple bruise on Arceus' forehead. The unconscious Pokémon is lying in the middle of the room. The Legendaries and exiles are standing on their seats and they look greatly worried. Eclipso and Saberspark are talking with each other as they stand beside Arceus' body. Eclipso looks upset while Saberspark looks incredibly worried.

When the exiles see the heroes, they walk up to them. "Raikou, thank goodness that you three are here." Saberspark sighs in relief.

"Zarko just told us what is going on." Darkrai jabs his thumb at the Lucario while Zarko, Latias, and Rayquaza join the Legendaries or give the humans a description of what happened. "But what happened exactly?"

"We came here this morning to check on Arceus and Crystal. But we noticed that the doors were left open and grew concerned. When we found Arceus unconscious and Crystal's body gone, Zarko left to call for the human's help while we stayed to make sure that nothing else happens. Then we noticed that one of the poles on the wall is out of place and realized that the attacker must have hit Arceus in order to get to Crystal. The humans are going to do a broadcast soon to alert the world about this situation."

"What if Darkstar did this?" Ash asks nervously.

"It can't be," Darkrai crosses his arms and shakes his head. "Knowing Darkstar, he would have killed Arceus and Crystal when he got the chance. Besides, he has no way of going through the protective shield that Arceus set up."

"But who else could have done this?" Eclipso demands. "Everyone practically knows that Darkstar is our enemy, so who else would go against us?"

Raikou sighs as he places a paw on Arceus' cheek. "I guess all we know is that Crystal is gone."

Suddenly a gust of wind blows through the room and hits the heroes. A gentle voice calls out to the thunder tiger. _It's all right… Everything is going according to plan…_

-ooo-

At that moment, Laki helps Mrs. Kangaskhan finishes cooking up a meal for the soldiers as they wait in the Garden of Eden. Even though the evening is beautiful, everyone is anxious as they wait for something to happen. Laki decides that making a good buffet would help soothe everyone. After dinner, the Lucario and Kangaskhan decide to put away the leftovers while Ribo, Gallade, and Rocky turn on their watches to watch the news to look for any unusual activities. Violet and Scalene sit beside their friends and watch in boredom. Everyone is quiet as they sit around their leaders and watch the holographic screens. Suddenly a newscast alert pops up and several Pokémon groan at the interruption.

"Good evening. This is Jennifer Green with an unbelievable newsflash." A blonde human that is wearing a blue business dress is in front of the camera. She holds a microphone close to her mouth as she looks at the camera. "The Legendaries have called the police this morning to report a mysterious attack that took place in the Hall of Legends. The Legendaries have reported that Arceus was knocked out while the body of his daughter goes missing."

"**WHAT?"**

Several voices shriek out in alarm while Laki and Mrs. Kangaskhan ignore the food and rush over to the hologram screen. Ribo, Gallade, and Rocky shakily turn up the volume on their watches so everyone could listen to the news more clearly.

"The police are not sure as to who is responsible for this crime, but the Legendaries think that Terotrey Horrifiance is behind this. Several supporters agree while others are doubting this theory. Let's hear what the witnesses here have to say about the situation."

Soon the camera switches to show Zarko. The Lucario looks stern and skeptical as he looks at the screen. "We can neither confirm nor deny that Terotrey Horrifiance has committed this crime. The paramedics cannot find any DNA samples around the courtroom and we still have yet to find more clues that will help us solve this crisis."

Soon the screen shows a human officer. The human runs a hand through his brown hair tiredly. "It's weird. Why would anyone take the body of Arceus' kid when they know that the world is at stake?"

"It's Terotrey," Raikou suddenly appears on the screen with narrowed eyes. Behind the tiger are Arceus and several paramedics that are inspecting the God. "It's gotta be. Who else would do this? If it is Terotrey, then he's going down."

Suddenly Ash appears on the screen. He shifts his eyes side to side uneasily. "Um… Um… What am I supposed to say?"

Then the camera shifts to Darkrai, who holds a hand over his face. "Do you have anything to say? Do you have an idea of who did this?"

"…" Darkrai slowly shakes his head.

"Can you speak?" The cameraman asks crudely.

"Get that f**king camera away from my face!" Darkrai snarls as he sulks away to another part of the courtroom.

"Darkrai!" Raikou and Ash whine. "Sorry!" Darkrai apologizes over his shoulder.

"The police and Legendaries will continue to investigate this situation. If Terotrey has committed this crime, then all forces will find him and arrest him. This is Jennifer Green and that's the news for tonight." Soon the hologram turns off and leaves everyone silent.

Crystal's friends are speechless as they stare off into space. They could barely believe what they have just seen. Who could have taken their friend and leader away…?

Suddenly Violet snaps out of her shock. She narrows her ruby eyes as she glares at her friends. "We need to get over there. We need to help them find Crystal."

Suddenly Laki nods and stands up. She stumbles a bit before she turns to the stunned Pokémon. "Ribo, call Mewtwo and Deoxys. Tell them about what's going on. We are going to need as much help as we can possibly get." Then Laki glares at the soldiers. "Everyone else, spread the news as far and wide as you can! We need everyone to be alert of what is going on and help in any way possible!"

Soon everyone gets to work. Several Pokémon rush out of the island while their leaders huddle together and wait for Ribo to call his sister. After he explains everything to her and Mewtwo, he creates a portal that will take the six Pokémon to the Hall of Legends. In less than two minutes, the Pokémon jump into the portal and disappear.

-ooo-

"Pick it up! We need to get there immediately!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!"

Mewtwo, Deoxys, and Skyler fly through the sky with lightning speed. Jeff is hanging onto the dragon's antennas for dear life while his heart pounds in anxiety. The fliers avoid many tall mountains as they make their way towards the Hall of Legends. Mewtwo and Deoxys don't notice that Skyler was getting tired from flying so fast. The dragon feels his stomach and wings cramping as he speeds up. "Guys, please slow down!"

Mewtwo and Deoxys stop abruptly and turn to face the dragon. The dragon stops before he could crash against them and begins to breathe heavily. He coughs a few times and places a hand on his chest. "The Hall of Legends isn't going anywhere, mates! Just let me catch my breath! Seriously, I think that I might cough out my lungs!"

They psychics snort and cross their arms as they wait for the dragon to catch his breath. Once his breathing slows down, Deoxys asks, "Better yet?"

Skyler looks at her with a frown. "We just stopped-"

"OKgoodlet'sgo!"

Deoxys grabs Mewtwo's hand and bolts through the mountains before the dragon could finish his statement. Skyler stumbles back in surprise before he glares at Deoxys' disappearing form. "Deoxys! Mewtwo!" He thunders before he chases after the duo. Jeff screams in a feminine manner as his grip loosens on the dragon's antennas and he catches the dragon's tail. He holds onto the dragon's tail for dear life while the dragon flies at supersonic speed.

"Wait up! I'm getting a cramp, damn it!" Skyler shouts as he flies through the mountains. He doesn't notice a pair of red eyes watching him from behind the shadows. _**"It is almost time…"**_

-ooo-

Cotton, Logan, and Midnight finally warp to their destination in an unknown dimension. They walk through the dead foliage for hours and ignore how eerie the black and purple sky is. The dirt brushes through their feet as the quietly walk towards their hidden cave. Logan occasionally looks down at Crystal.

Suddenly Midnight stops and glances at Crystal uneasily. "So how will we do this? What if Zoroark is home already?"

Cotton seems indifferent as she glances at her teammates over her shoulder. "So what if he is? He is going to see the girl either way."

Logan glares at Cotton. "Maybe you don't get the deal, Cotton. This girl is the reincarnation of Zoroark's long lost love! Crystal used to be your best friend too; don't you remember that?"

Cotton almost looks sad before she shakes her head. "That doesn't matter. This girl is an entirely different person; she won't remember who we are or what she used to do. This girl is only a reincarnation of our old friend and nothing more."

"But this isn't about how we feel; this is about how Zoroark will react. I don't think he'll react well if he finds out that Arceus' daughter is the reincarnation of his lover." Midnight says cautiously.

"So what are we supposed to do? Cover her up with a blanket and hide her from Zoroark?" Logan asks irritably. Cotton pauses before she smiles mischievously. Logan realizes his mistake and shakes his head in disbelief. "Oh hell no…"

-ooo-

"She _can't _be serious…" Logan grumbles as he watches Cotton wrapping a large blanket around Crystal. Then the Lopunny ties the blanket tightly against the lizard with rope and completely hides Crystal underneath the cloth. Then she ties another rope around the lizard's ankles and lets go of the free rope before she turns to her two teammates.

"Cotton, I'm trying not to be rude, but how the hell is this going to work?" Logan raises a brow while Midnight gives Cotton a bizarre look.

"I just covered her up so Zoroark and Zorua won't see her." Cotton says the statement as if it is the most obvious thing in the world. Logan looks annoyed. "Care to share your plan with us?"

Cotton smiles pleasantly. "With pleasure. After I drag the girl up to the hill, I'll place her onto the pedestal just as planned. Then we wait until the boys show up. If they ask, then I'll just tell them that the body looks so repulsive that we had to cover it up so Zorua wouldn't freak out. After Zoroark plays the song and revives the girl, we'll let her out of her binds and show her to Zoroark."

"Do you have any idea how cruel that is?" Midnight growls as she narrows her eyes at the Lopunny. "Zoroark will think that we pulled off a cruel joke on him!"

"I think that Reshiram and Zekrom already pulled off a joke on us…" Cotton mutters as she crosses her arms. "But I said that I'd make sure that Zoroark will play that song no matter what happens. This is the best idea that I can come up with. Either way, Zoroark will find out and he's just going to have to get over it."

"You realize that you're a bitch, right?" Logan grumbles. Cotton smirks as she grabs the rope that is tied to Crystal's ankles. "I get that all the time and I _still_ went to heaven. How's that for irony?"

Cotton chuckles before she begins to drag the lizard's body through the ground. She walks through several large rocks and the team members watch the lizard falling down over large rocks and sharp twigs. The duo gape comically before they shake their heads and catch up to the Lopunny. Logan picks up the lizard and hoists her onto his shoulder as the Pokémon walk into their cave. The cave was spacious and there is a small circular pedestal in the middle of the room. At the very end of the cave, there are several different kinds of candles, rugs, and books scattered. There are some nests scattered around the room and the room is lit up by four torches.

Logan carefully places Crystal onto the pedestal. "Now all we need to do is wait for Zorua and Zoroark." Cotton smiles as she rubs her hands together. Suddenly two voices call out and the trio's hearts clench uneasily.

"We're back!"

The Pokémon quickly surround the table in the effort to hide the body. Cotton smirks as Zoroark and Zorua walk into the cave with tired expressions on their faces. _'Let's get this over with…'_

"Hello, Zoroark." Cotton greets sweetly. "Any reports about Darkstar?"

Zoroark wipes his forehead tiredly as he smiles at Cotton. "Nothing, but I know that he's out there somewhere." He shakes his head before he looks at his team. "So did you grab Arceus' daughter?"

Cotton smiles. "Yes, Sir! She's right here!" She points at the pedestal. Zoroark and Zorua frown when they see the clothed item. Zoroark gently moves Cotton and Midnight aside to get a better look. Just as he is about to remove the cloth, Cotton holds him back hastily.

"Wait a sec, Z! We covered the girl up for a reason!"

Zoroark's frown deepens. "Which is?" Zorua looks just as incredulous as his brother looks.

Cotton casually wraps an arm over Zoroark's shoulder. "When we found her body, she looks so pruny and wrinkly that it made me want to throw up!" She feigns a shudder as she leans against Zoroark for support. "Trust me when I say that Zorua would be scarred for life if he sees the body." She gazes at Zoroark pleadingly.

Logan and Midnight exchange disbelieving looks while Zorua frowns at her statement. "Cotton, I have seen things that no child should ever witness." He grimaces and shudders before he looks up at the shiny Lopunny. "I doubt that this girl's body will scare me. I'm scarred enough as it is."

Cotton's smile fades a little bit. Zorua could almost always tell when people are lying and his telepathy makes it even more difficult to continue lying. _'Pushy little fella, isn't he?'_

Cotton shakes her head and smiles at Zoroark. "Just trust me on this. Just play the song while she's wrapped up. When she starts moving, we'll untie her."

Zoroark stares at Cotton for a very long time. She's hiding something; that much he knows. But she would never do something without a reason. For all he knows, she could be right. Then he sighs deeply and closes his eyes. "Fine. Let's just get this over with."

Logan and Midnight exchanged uneasy looks while Cotton smiles and nods. Zoroark stands before the pedestal and pulls out the Azure Flute from his red hair. He looks at the shell closely. Then he looks at his friends. "Gather around and be calm as I play the song."

Soon the Pokémon surround the table and join hands as they close their eyes and sigh. Zoroark takes a deep breath before he brings the flute up to his lips and plays a gentle tune. A beautiful melody begins to echo in the cave and the gentle song soothes the Pokémon. Suddenly the clothed body begins to glow and floats up above the pedestal. When Zoroark finishes playing the melody, a flash of light erupts. The Pokémon snap their eyes open and watch the body fall back down to the pedestal.

After silence, a muffled scream erupts and the clothed body begins to struggle against the ropes. Cotton and Logan hastily rush over to untie the ropes but only get their faces kicked.

"OW! Arceus damn it!" Cotton roars as she covers her bruised eye. She glares at the tied captive. "What the hell?"

"My nose!" Logan whines as he rubs his sore nose. He glances uneasily at the struggling form. The Pokémon watch the clothed person trying to stand up. But due to having her ankles tied, she trips back and falls against a torch. The hanging torch falls down and the fire begins to burn up the pile of items at the end of the room.

"AW DAMN!" Cotton screams as she pulls her ears furiously. "Give us a break!" Soon Cotton, Midnight, and Logan get right to work to put out the fire. Zoroark and Zorua only watch the struggling form in bewilderment; this isn't how they planned to revive Arceus' daughter.

As soon as they finish putting out the fire, the trio rush up to hold the struggling lizard. "Please clam down! We're here to help you!" Midnight cries as he begins to untie her ankles. Logan holds the girl firmly as Cotton unties her wrists. But when the lizard punches Cotton's face, the Lopunny loses it. "That's it! I've had enough!"

Cotton grabs the end of the cloak and yanks it back. The force makes the ropes loosen and the blanket spins off from Crystal. The lizard spins towards Zoroark in a white blur and collides against the humanoid fox. "OOF!"

Zoroark stumbles back from the force but manages to catch the lizard in his arms. He shakes the dizziness away while he speaks to the Grovyle below him. "How nice of you to drop by." He jokes.

Crystal holds her head and shakes the dizziness away as she responds, "Thanks for catching me. I didn't intend to bring down the house."

The duo don't notice that the four Pokémon are watching them anxiously. Zorua's expression turns pale as he gapes at Crystal. He looks like he has just seen a ghost.

"It's obviously not that scary if you can joke about…" Zoroark finally looks down at Crystal. There is absolute silence as Zoroark's eyes widen in disbelief and fear. "It can't be…" His voice is barely a cracked whisper. "C-Cryssy…?"

The Pokémon watch Zoroark as he begins to tremble. Crystal only stares up at the fox's sapphire eyes and suddenly something clicks. She has a sense of déjà vu and wonders why the fox is so familiar…

**Finally they meet! I want more support please!**


	25. Chapter 25: Crystal's Return

**Almost there! Support, please!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 25: Crystal's Return**

"Um… Surprise?"

Cotton's sheepish voice shatters the silence. Zoroark blinks and shakes his head. He looks at the Grovyle in his arms before he forces himself to smile. "Um…" He gently lets Crystal go to give her some space. "Are you feeling all right?"

Crystal blinks before she forces herself to smile up at her savior. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just need a little time to adjust to my body. Would it be OK if I walk around for a bit outside?"

Zoroark shakes his head and smiles. "Of course not." He carefully wraps an arm around the lizard's waist and helps her stand up. He helps her walk towards the cave and stops at the entrance after he places the Azure Flute back into his hair. Crystal frowns when she sees the wasteland and looks at Zoroark questioningly. Zoroark smiles. "I should have told you that we are in a parallel dimension from your world. We will send you back home after you regain your strength."

Crystal just stares at Zoroark and wonders furiously about why he seems familiar. His eyes have set her off; they are enthralling but mysterious. Then Crystal forces herself to smile up at him when she realizes who he is. "You must be Zoroark."

"Yes, I am." Zoroark feels his heart pounding when Crystal smiles at him. When she holds out her hand, he grabs it and holds it up to his lips to kiss it. "You mother has told me a lot about you."

Crystal flushes a bit. She is somewhat surprised when Zoroark kisses her hand but pushes it aside since he is only trying to be polite. Then Zoroark turns to introduce his friends. "These are my friends. We make up a team called Team Illusion. The small fox is Zorua, my younger brother. The Cacturne is Logan. The Lopunny is Cotton. And the Absol is Midnight."

The Pokémon nod to Crystal and Crystal smiles at them. Then she looks at Zoroark. "I'll be back in a few minutes. I just need to walk around for a bit."

Zoroark clears his throat. "Of course… Take your time, Ma'am…"

Suddenly Crystal takes Zoroark's hand. She doesn't notice him inhaling sharply. "Please just call me Crystal. I don't like the formalities much."

Zoroark hesitates before he relaxes and squeezes Crystal's hand. "If you wish, Crystal."

The fox and lizard stare at each other for a long time before they look at their joined hands. They hastily pull away and blush slightly. Crystal nods before she turns and leaves the cave entrance. She glances at the fox from outside before she disappears behind the dead foliage. As soon as Crystal is gone, Zoroark spins around to glare at his friends. The Pokémon flinch when they notice the glowing red in Zoroark's eyes. Zorua glares at the trio expectantly.

"Explain yourselves," Zoroark demands hoarsely. "Do you think that this is some sort of a joke?"

"Z, we-" Logan is cut off by Zorua. "Why would you do this? You know how much Crystal meant to Zoroark! What kind of team members would pull this kind of cruel prank on their friends?"

The Pokémon are silent as they hang their heads in shame and guilt. Suddenly Cotton looks up. "Z, we know that you're mad at us. We only did this for your own good. We were horrified when we found out that Crystal is the reincarnation of your girlfriend. We didn't know how you would react; you would have most likely not be able to play the Song of Life if you saw her. We had to complete our mission no matter what happens, even if that means hiding her body from you."

Zoroark seems to calm down as he breathes raggedly. Seeing Cotton oxymoronically guilty automatically tells the fox that she is being truthful. But the situation is no less confusing and painful for him.

"Reincarnation?" Zorua asks as he raises a brow. Zoroark closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his snout as Midnight speaks. "I sensed her soul pieces and found out that it is the same aura that belongs to your lover. The only explanation of how this is possible is that Arceus' daughter is the reincarnation of the Crystal that we know of."

Zorua gulps as he glances at his brother. "Does she… Remember…?"

Midnight shakes her head sadly. "No. No one remembers anything from their past lives. It goes against the balance of life."

Zoroark's ears droop as he looks down at his feet. Suddenly Midnight looks thoughtful. "However… When that girl saw you, she looks as if she has recognized you from somewhere…"

"Does that mean that she remembers me…?" Zoroark asks hopefully. Midnight smiles a bit and nods. "It's possible, but it depends on how strong her emotions were in her past life. If she really has any emotional ties with you from deep in her soul, then the memories might come back the more you spend time with her." Suddenly she frowns. "But Zoroark, remember that this is Arceus' child that we are dealing with right now. Even if Crystal remembers you, she is an entirely different person in this lifetime. It will be up to her on how she will accept it."

Zoroark's smile fades when he realizes that Midnight is right. Even if Crystal does remember him, she was raised differently in this lifetime and is now a different person from the one that he has fallen in love with centuries ago. Plus, there is the issue that she has friends and family. He isn't sure of how Zekrom and Reshiram will accept the thought of their old friend with their granddaughter…

Zoroark sighs and leans against the cave wall as he watches Crystal running around the wasteland happily. He crosses his arms and smiles sadly and lovingly at the lizard. "All I can do is just hope…"

-ooo-

Crystal cheers happily as she skips around the wasteland. She doesn't care about the fact that she is in an unhappy area; she was back! But as she begins to slow down and relax, she wonders why Zoroark is so familiar. A serious sense of déjà vu hits her every time she sees Zoroark. She notices the uneasy sadness that the fox's eyes held but hasn't given it much thought. But why does she keep feeling awkward and uneasy around Zoroark? He would never hurt her; he practically brought her back to life!

Crystal decides that it's only an effect from just being revived. Right now, she has more serious matters to worry about. She needs to call her friends and let them know that she's OK and on her way home. Crystal smiles as she sits against a dead tree; she'll call Darkrai, Ash, and Raikou first. She closes her eyes and concentrates. She looks around the world for the boys' minds until she finds them in the Hall of Legends. She is surprised when she senses their distress and confusion. She reads their current thoughts.

'_Who could have taken Crystal away? Ribo said that Darkstar couldn't have done it. It doesn't help that Arceus was hit on the head so hard that he doesn't even remember his own attackers.'_

Crystal frowns. Zoroark and his men have taken her body away without giving her allies a warning? It's no wonder why everyone in the Hall of Legends is panicking. But it doesn't sound like Zoroark to just knock people down to get what he wants. Regardless, Crystal decides to end the boys' unease. _'Guys, if you can hear me, then say something…'_

Crystal waits in silence until three loud voices start screaming. Crystal grimaces as the voices create a migraine. _'CRYSTAL OH MY ARCEUS IS THAT YOU WHERE ARE YOU ARE YOU OK WE WERE WORRIED THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED TO YOU IF TEROTREY HAS YOU WE PROMISE THAT WE'LL FIND A WAY TO SAVE YOU JUST TELL US WHERE YOU ARE AND WE'LL BE RIGHT THERE!'_ The boys speak so fast that Crystal couldn't catch up with their words. She groans. _'Boys, just calm down. You're making this sound like a very big deal.'_

'_It __**is**__a big deal! It's a very big deal! You just disappeared from the face of the Earth!"_ Darkrai snaps. Crystal rolls her eyes. _'OK, fine. It is a big deal. Big whoop. Just know that I am revived and safe-'_

'_Revived?'_ Raikou asks. Suddenly realization hits him. _'You mean that the person that took you is the person that knows the song…?'_ There is heavy silence before the boys feel sheepish. _'… Oopsie. Darkstar didn't take you after all.'_

Crystal shakes her head impatiently. _'No, he didn't. Now will you boys shut up and let me talk?'_ When the boys don't say anything, she sighs. _'Thank you. Just know that I'm safe. You guys can't find me because I'm at my savior's hideout in a different dimension. I'll ask what happened with my father. But all you boys need to do is gather everyone at the Garden of Eden. I'll meet you there in about ten minutes. Can you handle that?'_

After silence, Darkrai answers. _'We're on it Crystal. We'll see you at the base in a few minutes.'_ With that said, Crystal smiles and ends the telepathic call. Then she opens her eyes and sees several pair of feet before her. Startled, she glances up and sees Zoroark and his friends looking down at her with amused looks. Crystal jumps up and smacks her head against a branch. She groans and rubs her head as she looks at the Pokémon. "How long have you guys been standing there?"

"Zorua and I overheard everything with our telepathy." Zoroark answers as he helps Crystal stand up. "I must admit that it's quite amusing to see your friends getting worked up."

Crystal stops rubbing her head and looks up at Zoroark expectantly. "So what happened with you and my father? Why did you knock him out?"

Zoroark and Zorua blink before they turn to look at their other teammates with meaningful looks. Crystal realizes that the foxes probably weren't with the trio at the time judging by how skeptical they look. Logan looks almost sheepish.

"We were going to tell you about that later." Midnight starts. "But while we were grabbing Crystal, Arceus was in the way. He wouldn't let us take her-"

"Until Logan picked up a pole and knocked him down multiple times." Cotton snickers behind her hand as the memory returns to her. Logan and Midnight glare at her while Zoroark, Zorua, and Crystal look incredulous. Midnight quickly eases the tension. "But I checked on him; the worst damage it can do is make him forget about his attacker." Then Midnight glances at Crystal and decides to end the conversation. "I'm guessing that you're ready to go home and see your allies again?"

Crystal blinks before she smiles. "I would like that." Zoroark smiles as well and wraps an arm around her shoulder as he huddles the group close together. Midnight picks up her ruby pendant and gives it to Crystal.

"Crystal, you know the basics about warping through another dimension. This pendant is enchanted and it will send its holder to any place that he or she wishes to go to. All you need to do is think about your desired place carefully and the pendant will warp you there. My team and I will hold onto you so we can warp with you. Any questions?"

Crystal blinks. "Nope. That is actually very specific enough. I told the boys that I'd meet everyone back at the Garden of Eden."

"Eden? The secret birthplace of all Legendaries?" Logan asks curiously. Crystal smirks. "How can it be a secret if other people know about it?"

Logan pauses before he grins. "Good point."

Crystal chuckles before she looks at everyone. "Ready?"

"Whenever you are." Zoroark replies. He holds Zorua with one arm and wraps his free hand around Crystal's waist. Logan, Cotton, and Midnight hold onto Crystal and Zoroark while Crystal closes her eyes and concentrates. Once she memorizes her birthplace, a bright flash of red light enshrouds them and the Pokémon disappear.

-ooo-

"SHE'S SAFE! SHE'S SAFE!" Raikou and Ash bellow as they jump up and down on the pedestal. Their shouts shatter the silence and everyone looks at them in bewilderment and annoyance. Darkrai's eyes glow as he watches his teammates jumping around excitedly.

"What in Arceus' name are you-" Mewtwo begins to interrogate but stops when Raikou and Ash hug him tightly. Then they continue jump up and down as they scream excitedly around the room. "SHE'S SAFE! SHE'S SAFE!" They continue to shout.

Violet is about to let out a long string of swear words until the boys hug her and leave her breathless. Then the boys start dancing excitedly. Jeff joins the dance even though he has no idea of what is going on.

_SA-AFE, SA-AFE_

_SAFE SAFE, SAFE SAFE,_

_SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE!_

_SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE,_

_SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE,_

_SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE,_

_SHE IS SA-AFE!_

Raikou and Ash sway their hips dorkishly and shake their fists as they sing. They ignore the baffled looks that their friends give them. Then everyone looks at Darkrai as he calms down the duo. "Easy, you two. You're going to stress yourselves."

"But we need to go!" Raikou struggles against Darkrai's hold. "We gotta go see Crystal!"

"What is that boy yelling about now?" Violet snaps irritably as she floats over to the Pokémon. Darkrai smiles at her. "Crystal's back. She just called us and told us that she'd meet us at the Garden of Eden."

There is stunned silence as everyone gapes at Darkrai. Raikou and Ash twitch anxiously as they wait to leave. Suddenly everyone starts talking at once. The boys are overwhelmed by the questions until Arceus' eyes glow. Everyone turns silent after the flash of light and look up at him. Arceus' eyes dim before he glares at everyone. Then he looks down at the boys. The Pokémon notice a small bandage wrapped around his bruise on his temple.

"When have you found out about this?" Arceus asks calmly.

"Just now. Crystal used her telepathy to call us." Darkrai answers.

"And you're sure that it's her?"

"Absolutely positive. She told us that she'd meet us there. I think that her savior will be there too."

"Savior?" Suicune blinks. Raikou finally relaxes and looks a bit sheepish. "It turns out that it was her savior that knocked Arceus down. It wasn't Darkstar after all."

The Pokémon begin to mutter amongst themselves until Arceus silences everyone. He looks down at the Jewel of Life that hangs on a chain necklace around his neck. His eyes glow when he notices that the crack on the orb is gone. "The Jewel of Life is completely healed. That means that Crystal must be revived. Our fate is saved."

Everyone lets out cheers and the boys smile until Arceus silences everyone. He looks at the trio. "You said that she'd meet us at the island? When?"

"At about ten minutes." Ash replies.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go already!" Eclipso barks. Before he could fly out the door, Ribo and Violet hold him back. "Just wait a moment, Eclipso." Arceus states patiently. "I will warp us all there. Everyone just relax and we'll be in the island in less than three minutes."

Then the Pokémon stand up as Arceus closes his eyes and concentrates. Soon the whole courtroom glows and everyone levitates above the ground before a flash of light blinds them. Once the flash disappears, everyone is gone.

**Support and feedback, please!**


	26. Chapter 26: Return and Tension

**Almost there! More support please! Zarko belongs to Airman0007.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 26: Return and Tension**

"Ugh. Where are they?"

Eclipso paces around impatiently in the Garden of Eden while the heroes wait anxiously for Crystal to arrive. The wind gently blows through the heroes' bodies. The Legendaries sit nearby the lake tiredly while Crystal's friends lean against the cliff walls boredly. Unfortunately, several human reporters have lingered around in the island and overheard the commotion as soon as the Pokémon arrive. The Pokémon knew that Crystal didn't want unnecessary attention, but it was no use trying to force the reporters out of the island. At least some reporters are respectful enough to understand that Crystal will need some space as soon as she arrives.

Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash sit with their close friends as they watch Eclipso sympathetically. Although they understand that Eclipso is worried about Crystal, he's being a bit too irrational. But Darkrai couldn't help but sympathize his brother. Suddenly he floats up and moves towards his brother. He places a hand on the phantom's shoulder and Eclipso flinches before he stops pacing.

"Calm down, Eclipso. Everything is going to be all right." Darkrai says calmly. Eclipso turns to him with an unsure look on his face. "How can you be so sure? What if this was just a setup that Darkstar planned out? He did it once; he'll do it again."

Darkrai smiles. "You always were too much of a worrywart. Just relax. Crystal _is_ coming."

Eclipso frowns. "Again, how can you be so sure?"

Darkrai sighs. His brother can be as stubborn as he is sometimes. Then Darkrai flips Eclipso around to look at the phantom's eyes carefully. He holds up his palm to summon the dark affinity. Eclipso looks surprised. "Zekrom and Reshiram taught me, Raikou, and Ash about how to control our affinities. They told us that Crystal would return."

"When did they teach you?" Saberspark asks skeptically as he glances at Raikou. Raikou smiles sheepishly as he shrugs. "This morning when we were at the forest."

"That explains why you guys didn't wake up; you must have been tired." Latias theorizes. Not wanting to say anything about the Valley of Origins, the boys only nod.

Suddenly a flash of light erupts. Everyone covers their eyes from the sight until they hear a couple of voices.

"OW! I swear that every time we transwarp my cotton gets all frizzed up!"

"Get over it, Cotton! You can always fix it up later!"

"Oh, shut up!"

Everyone opens their eyes and turn to look at the source of the flash. They see a cowboy Cacturne, a shiny Lopunny, a shiny Absol, and two strange foxes. But amongst the group is-

"Crystal!" Everyone cries out. As the lizard steps up to greet them, she is suddenly spun around by Eclipso. Eclipso hugs Crystal tightly to him but yelps when Violet pushes him away. Then the female clone hugs the daylights out of Crystal. Soon Crystal's friends, Raikou, Ash, and even Darkrai join in the hug. The sudden weight placed upon the lizard is too much and she topples over. Several Pokémon laugh and cry as they let Crystal go and help her stand up. Soon Arceus walks up to the small group and the Pokémon move aside to let him nuzzle his daughter.

"Are you all right? Do you need anything?" Arceus asks. Crystal nods and smiles. "Yeah, I'm fine. Everything has gone according to plan thanks to Zoroark and his team."

"Zoroark?" Zarko blinks. Then he and Arceus notice Team Illusion behind Crystal and look greatly surprised before they smile. Zarko walks up to give Zoroark a firm handshake. "It has been too long, my friend."

"It has been a while." Zoroark smiles while Arceus nods in agreement.

"You know each other?" Raikou asks curiously. Zarko turns to him. "Zoroark was another one of the top generals of Reshiram and Zekrom's army a thousand years ago. He and his friends have died after an accident."

By 'accident', Crystal knows that he means that Zoroark sacrificed himself to save his loved one. But she doesn't say anything while Zoroark speaks. "Reshiram and Zekrom have brought us back to life for the mission to revive Crystal. We also decided to stay and help you with your war against Darkstar."

Suddenly realization dawns on Mewtwo. "So you're the one who can play the Song of Life?"

"That is correct." Zoroark nods.

"But why did you take away Crystal's body and knock Arceus down?" Ash asks. Zoroark sighs as he turns to glare at a sheepish Logan. "I have sent three of my teammates down to get Crystal while Zorua and I looked around for Darkstar. We have taken the Azure Flute while everyone on the island was distracted. I needed to play the Song of Life in a quiet location so she can be revived. And as for knocking Arceus down…"

"That was Logan's fault. He's just an idiot." Cotton pipes up. Logan snarls at her and she smirks. Sudden realization hits Arceus. "Now I see why you three are a little familiar; it's coming back to me now…"

But what is really going on through the God's mind is the fact that Crystal and Zoroark are standing next to each other. Since Arceus knows about what has happened with Zoroark and his lover, he has been growing anxious the moment he saw Crystal while she was making an important newsflash regarding Terotrey's plan to destroy the Hall of Legends. Crystal looks exactly like Zoroark's old lover, if not a bit taller and stronger. It is very possible that his daughter might be the reincarnation of Zoroark's girlfriend. So why is Zoroark so calm around his daughter?

While Zoroark introduces himself and his team to the heroes, Arceus looks at Giratina and Zarko. They look either thoughtful or concerned before they glance at him and nod in acknowledgement. They know about what happened with Zoroark and his lover as much as Arceus does. They were also there when it happened. And like the God, they aren't sure of what to make about the situation.

Suddenly hundreds of flashing lights erupt and surround the heroes. Several Pokémon are pushed away as the human reporters begin to bombard Crystal with millions of questions. Crystal had no luck escaping from the group since the crowd is huddling around her closely. None of the Pokémon had any luck pushing through the crowd.

"Crystal, is it true that your soul was shattered?"

"Did you really die?"

"Is Zoroark an ally of yours? What Pokémon is he anyhow?"

"Did you meet any dead celebrities in the afterlife? What is heaven like?"

Zoroark could see the distressed look on Crystal's face and he narrows his eyes. How unthoughtful are these humans? Can't they understand that Crystal is a normal person that doesn't want to be treated like some sort of a prized possession or celebrity? The fox growls and restrains himself from attacking the humans. It would do no good.

Suddenly an idea hits him and he smirks as he looks at his brother. "Zorua."

"Hmm?" The fox looks up at his brother curiously.

"I think it's time that we put on a little disguise, if you know what I mean…"

Suddenly Zoroark smirks. "I couldn't agree with you more." Soon the duo walk away from the crowd and climb up a few tall boulders. Once they hide themselves, they close their eyes as they use their special ability to morph into two magnificent beings.

The flashes of light continue to blind Crystal until a deep voice silences everyone. _**"Humans, do not overwhelm the poor girl with your questions. If you have anything to say, then talk with us."**_

Everyone blinks before they turn around. To their shock and amazement, they see Reshiram and Zekrom floating above the valley in their true forms. Their eyes glow brightly as they stare at the gobsmacked crowd.

"Holy crap, dude! Alpha and Omega are huge!" Violet squeaks.

Crystal is surprised before she turns suspicious. Why would her grandparents appear before the human press? Surely not to answer all their questions…

'_Crystal… Can you hear me?'_

'_Zoroark…?'_ Crystal blinks before she looks around. _'Where are you and Zorua?'_

'_We're right above you. We're disguised as the great Alpha and Omega.'_ Zorua sounds amused while Crystal notices Zekrom winking down at her and Reshiram smiling. _'We have the ability to morph into anything that we have encountered.'_

'_Nice…'_ Crystal smiles. _'So you're gonna…'_

'_We will lure the press away. Just make the stairs disappear and let the island keep its floating course.'_

Crystal smiles at Zoroark's clever demeanor and thoughtfulness. _'OK. You do your thing and I'll get right to work.'_

Then Reshiram speaks. _**"Humans, follow us out of this valley and we will answer your questions."**_

Then the magnificent Gods fly over the crowd and disappear over the large stairs that leads back to Earth. The human press immediately follows them and ignores Crystal. Crystal smiles slyly before she follows the crowd. The heroes watch her in confusion while she walks up the stairs. Darkrai, Ash, and Raikou follow her. They look down at the flight of stairs and see the last humans disappearing behind the clouds.

After a moment, Crystal holds up her watch and presses a red button. The boys stare at her before the whole ground shakes. Crystal smiles as she looks at them. "C'mon, boys! Let's get back to the valley!"

Then Crystal hastily pulls the boys along as they rush down the stairs. It was hard to avoid tripping since the whole island was shaking badly. Back in the valley, everyone looks alarmed and look at Crystal. She only smiles at them as she regains her balance.

-ooo-

'_Things are going according to plan…'_ Zoroark smiles as he watches the humans stepping off the stairs. The cameras continue to flash as the humans ask hundreds of questions. The Pokémon ignore them as they wait for Crystal to make something happen.

Suddenly the Earth begins to shake violently. The humans stop snapping pictures and stumble down. The disguised foxes notice that the stairs are beginning to quickly move upwards. Knowing that Crystal is making the entrance of the island disappear, the boys stand on the last step of the stairs and smile down at the stunned humans.

"It was nice chatting with you, but we are going to have to reschedule this interview at another time." Zoroark says in his normal voice. Soon Reshiram and Zekrom's forms glow and they take the shake of the foxes. The brother smile at the humans' gaping looks. "Better luck next time."

Zoroark makes a salute to the humans and turns to leave. He ignores the humans as they shout in outrage and flip him off. Completely amused, Zoroark and Zorua walk up the stairs while the stairs elevates higher into the clouds. Once the duo reach the cliff, the stairs are gone and the island regains its course of levitation. The foxes smile as they walk down the stairs towards the valley. As soon as they reach to the ground, Crystal rushes up to them with a wide smile on her face.

Without warning, Crystal hugs Zoroark tightly. "Thank you. That was really thoughtful of you."

Zoroark stares at Crystal in shock before he returns the hug slowly. "You're welcome…" Zoroark hesitates as he wraps his arms around Crystal's body. It is like holding his girlfriend all over again. She even smells like his lover; the scent of lilies washes through the fox's snout and he holds back a shudder. Zorua looks up at his brother and senses the fox's distraught through their mental bond.

Crystal doesn't know why, but it feels right being in Zoroark's arms. The smell of tropical plants washes through her snout and she realizes that she is very warm being against his fur. Just being in his embrace makes her feel safe and at home. She never feels like that with anyone except with her mother. Why does she feel this way?

A cough shatters the tense silence. The duo break away and notice that their friends are staring at them with amused or uncomfortable stares. Ribo has made a coughing gesture to interrupt the embrace. Eclipso is glaring at Zoroark for some reason.

"So what happened? Where are Zekrom and Reshiram?" Ash asks. Crystal smiles at his attempt to change the topic. Then she smirks at his question. "It's a whole fiasco made by the masters of illusion." She gestures to the foxes. The Pokémon look confused while Team Illusion looks amused.

"The humans throw a number of fingers at ya?" Cotton chuckles as she crosses her arms.

Zoroark shrugs. "Not much, but yeah." He gives Crystal a quick smile.

"How did you do it? How did you transform into Alpha and Omega?" Ribo asks as he floats up to Zoroark. The fox smiles. "My brother and I have the ability to transform into any creature that we come across. We call this ability Illusion because it always works to deceive other people."

Then Zorua jumps up into the air. His body glows before it changes into a humanoid clone of Ash. The clone giggles and holds his hands together as he skips around a startled Ash. "Whoa…" Ash leans towards the clone but growls when Zorua pinches his nose playfully. Annoyed, Ash reaches forward but falls down when Zorua jumps over his shoulders. Soon Zorua transforms and takes the form of Raikou. The clone tiger smiles mischievously at the trainer before he runs away towards the valley. Ash chases after the clone while Raikou and Darkrai follow him. The heroes watch them for a moment before they turn to Zoroark.

"Not to sound rude, but _what_ are you, dude?" Jeff asks. "I've never seen your kind of species before…"

Zoroark hesitates before he sighs. "One of the last extinct species." The fox leaves it at that and changes the subject. "But I need to tell you about what I know about Darkstar. Is there somewhere that we can talk privately?"

Crystal places a hand on Zoroark's arm. The fox flinches at her touch but watches her point at the lake. "None of the caves are large enough to hold us all inside. We can rest by the lake; all my soldiers know not to listen into our private conversations."

"That will work." Zoroark nods before he watches the boys still chasing after a Darkrai clone. He smiles. "Now to get the children to stop playing…"

Crystal watches the boys as they use their affinities to stop the fox. She has been aware that her grandparents had helped the boys with their final training and is grateful for the Gods' help.

"I'll take care of it…" Cotton smirks as she walks over to the boys. When Zorua transforms into Raikou and runs towards her, she holds out her foot and trips the clone. Zorua yelps as he rolls over and crashes against the wall. Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash yelp as they stop but end up crashing against the wall as well.

"Oh, no!" Suicune and Cresselia cry out. They give Cotton a dirty glare before they rush over to the boys.

"… Wow." Violet sweat-drops. Then she grins as she wraps an arm around Cotton's shoulder. "I think that you and I will get along just great."

Cotton scoffs. "Don't count on it." Then the girls laugh as they walk towards the lake.

"Hey, wait for us!" Ribo calls as he flies towards the duo. The other Pokémon help Raikou, Darkrai, Ash, and Zorua up before they all walk towards the lake. That leaves just Zoroark and Crystal.

The duo glance at each other before they turn away and blush slightly. Then they begin to follow their friends. Zoroark absentmindedly wraps an arm around Crystal's shoulder during the walk. The lizard blushes but smiles and pats his arm as they continue to walk. Her sudden comfort intrigues Zoroark. Is she always comfortable around new people, or just comfortable around him?

Then he remembers about Midnight's advice. If Crystal's feelings for him years ago are pure, then she will regain her memories the more she spends time with him. The idea is risky considering how many close friends Crystal has, but Zoroark is determined to be reunited with his love. All he has to do is spend more time with Crystal. Then one spot comes to his mind and he smiles.

He can show Arceus' daughter the meadow where he and Crystal declared their love for each other. Surely that place will bring up more memories to Crystal. It's worth a try.

Zoroark smiles softly as he squeezes Crystal's shoulder. As they walk towards the lake, they are unaware that Eclipso is hiding behind a boulder and watching them. The phantom narrows his eyes angrily as jealousy seizes his heart. Suddenly his robotic appendages starts to overheat and he blinks when he hears a whirring sound. He looks down and is horrified when he sees the cannons on his waist charging up to fire. He quickly calms down and deactivates the shooting target.

"H-How is this possible…?" He mutters. He looks up sadly at Crystal's disappearing form before he shakes his head. "No… I cannot tell her about this and risk her life again. I need to find someone who knows how to handle this. But who?" Suddenly realization hits Eclipso and he groans as he smacks his forehead. "Damn it…"

He grumbles to himself as he glares at Crystal and Zoroark. Then he makes his decision and fades into the shadows to search for the last person that he wants to seek help from…

**More support and feedback please!**


	27. Chapter 27: Tricks and Treats

**OK, I got the last three chapters already fixed up; good thing I checked on them first. Support and feedback, please!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 27: Tricks and Treats**

Eclipso returns to the very last place that he ever wants to go to: Terotrey's Realm. His skin crawls when he sees the black and purple skies and lifeless islands. It was pure luck that he managed to find a dimensional portal that leads to this dimension; he simply followed a few robots that have been lurking around the land. He groans as he clutches his fried up waist; his cannons have been acting up ever since he left the island and he is worried that he might not have any control left to stop himself from hurting other people. Since Darkstar has practically hardwired the system, only he knows how to fix it. Even though Eclipso hates the demon with a passion, he has no one else to turn to. But the chances of the evil spirit helping him is very slim, but Eclipso would rather take the chance. He doesn't want his weapons to go off unexpectedly.

Soon he sees a roofless building. He hesitates before he takes a deep breath and floats closer. He notices a flickering blue light from inside and peers over the roof. He hears chuckles and his heart sinks. Then he takes a deep breath and floats over the wall to land inside the building. He sees the machine that has transformed him and the other exiles into robots. It doesn't seem to have changed a bit. Heck, the whole laboratory hasn't changed. But it looks strangely deserted; no one is in the room.

"_**How nice of you to visit me, Eclipso…"**_ A voice says out of nowhere. Eclipso jumps and turns around to face a ghostly being with glowing red eyes. The being bears his fangs as he grins at the phantom.

Eclipso clears his throat. The confidence that he has been building up earlier is starting to fade. _**"I know that you haven't come here to stare at me. You have come here because you have trouble controlling your new robotic appendages."**_

Eclipso gapes at the spiritual demon. "How did you…?"

"_**Do you honestly think that I am that dense? I have programmed your body into reacting negatively through different emotions. The more powerful the emotion is, the less likely you will be able to control yourself. Easy and simple like that. It works as well as I control your movements. But as you can see, I choose not to control you or the other exiles because another opportunity has come up. It seems that Crystal has new allies, am I correct?"**_

Eclipso narrows his eyes suspiciously. "How do you know that? And why does that matter?"

"_**Crystal's two robotic friends have appendages that let me overhear everything that she says. And I think that the allies do matter for your case…"**_ Darkstar smirks. _**"It seems that Crystal is close to the leader of the new recruits. I think that they might even be interested in each other. And I know that you cannot stand the thought of Crystal being with another man…"**_

Eclipso snarls when he realizes that the spirit is testing his emotions. He vows to not fall for Darkstar's tricks; it would reactivate his weapons. But then again, shooting the evil spirit with his cannons or even a laser sounds very tempting…

"_**And Zoroark's predicament will make this job easier…"**_

"What are you talking about?" Eclipso raises a brow as the spirit chuckles. _**"If you really want to know, then I have no problems explaining it. Please make yourself comfortable while I tell you a tale of forbidden love and tragedy…"**_

Eclipso narrows his eyes and crosses his arms. What is Darkstar up to?

Then Darkstar faces the machine. He keeps his back facing Eclipso as he speaks. _**"A very long time ago, there was only a world where everyone has lived together in peace. Even I once lived in that world until Reshiram and Zekrom banished me. They believed that my methods of creating a perfect world are unjust and impure. They sent me to this dimension and created an army that would fight against me and anyone who believes in my ways."**_

"_**But I had thought of a plan that would destroy everything that the Gods have worked for. I created a spy that the Gods have never seen before and thus cannot determine her loyalty to. She was my best spy and most potential warrior. Take a guess as to who that spy is."**_Darkstar smirks.

Eclipso's eyes widen in disbelief. "Not Crystal!"

Darkstar nods and chuckles. _**"It's ironic; her past life used to work for me, and now she is fighting against me. But back to the story. I have created her soul through the seven affinities. But I made the biggest mistake by blessing her with a heart."**_ The spirit shakes his head in disgust. _**"Regardless, I have come up with a plan to have Crystal be recruited into Reshiram and Zekrom's army. I set up a shipwreck that would make Crystal look like one of my targets. Zoroark wouldn't let any soul perish and thus took Crystal in and took care of her regardless of how suspicious the other soldiers are. As the time flows by, Crystal and Zoroark fell in love with each other after Crystal is recruited into the army. But Crystal's love has made her turn against me; she has come to me one night and told me that she quit working for me."**_

Suddenly Darkstar smiles evilly. _**"And that was when Zoroark arrived. He has overheard our plans and attacked us. He knocked me down and started to yell horrible words at Crystal. It was actually enticing to see how heartbroken he was. Just as I was about to strike him down, Crystal pushed him away and took the hit that killed her. Zoroark reacted and attacked me with his soul; that power has drained him to the point of death. I had to flee to heal myself for the next several centuries."**_

Eclipso is speechless as he gapes at the spirit in ill shock. Is Crystal truly a person that Darkstar has created…? And has all of that really happened to her and Zoroark…?

"_**But soon another opportunity came up. When the humans became to dominate the world, I created a terminal virus that wiped out a third of the population just to spice things up."**_

Suddenly a boiling rage grows inside Eclipso. "It was you that caused the Black Death… The exiles and I had no control over that and were banished regardless of it…"

Darkstar smirks. _**"I admit that it was partially my fault, but you and the others were too lazy to even do anything. But after I noticed that Blackfire was pregnant, I knew that her child would be a very reliable weapon. But after she gave birth to twins, I noticed that Crystal is the reincarnation of my spy."**_ Then the spirit turns to Eclipso and narrows his eyes. _**"She would have helped me with my goals had you not given up her sister."**_

"We had no choice! Blackfire was unconscious and Heatran was gone at that moment! We were too tired to fight with you!" Eclipso protests. "It was either us or both of Blackfire's children! So we agreed to give up the other twin to you! Surely that was enough to satisfy you!"

"_**Not even close…"**_ Darkstar snarls. _**"One of my recently traitorous followers has taken Lily when she was barely a few days old and fled. I haven't seen either of them again."**_

Eclipso freezes. _"You mean that they're dead?"_ He whispers hoarsely.

"_**I didn't say that, but we are getting off the track here. Back to my story. So after the duo fled from me, I knew that I had to grab you and the exiles. I took several disguises as humans and kept you so I could study about how the Legendaries ways work. When Crystal tried to run away the first time, I had taken precautions and did the best experimentation on her."**_

"What did you do?" Eclipso demands as his eyes glow dangerously. Darkstar smiles darkly. _**"The very reason why she cannot transform. I have done this experiment with many Pokémon and it has pulled off successfully. But Crystal and her pink friend are the only Pokémon that are not affected negatively. I won't bore you with the details since you have gone through the process yourself, so I'll cut down to the bottom line. Crystal and Lacaria's skeletal systems are reframed as pure mechanical machines. Although they have the essential organs and systems, they are as robotic as you are. They just don't show the symptoms."**_

Eclipso's heart stops. _"You did what?" _

"_**Now that Zoroark is back, he will think of Crystal as his long-lost love and do whatever it takes to regain her memories. But he will never know that his lover is exactly what she was the day they met; a creation that is meant to serve me!"**_

"_I'm gonna kill you Darkstar!"_ Eclipso roars before he strikes out. Suddenly he loses control and his cannons begin to fire at different directions. Their blasts shatter the lab tables and walls but fail to aim directly at the spirit.

Darkstar easily dodges the blasts. Soon he grows bored of the shooting and orders, _**"Stop."**_

Suddenly Eclipso stops shooting and his cannons deactivate. The phantom looks panicked as he looks up at the smug spirit. _**"Now kneel."**_

Eclipso's body kneels before the spirit as Darkstar floats before him. _**"As your master, I command you to erase all your emotions from your program. You will obey me forever from this day on."**_

"NO!" Eclipso cries before his brain begins to develop the worst migraine he has ever experienced. He trembles as his body burns from an unknown force. Suddenly his eyes turn dull and he releases his head as he looks up at his master blankly. Darkstar chuckles darkly. _**"Welcome to my army, Eclipso. Your mission for now is to spy on Crystal and her friends. Find out about their new plans and inform me afterwards. If this ends well, I will make sure that you and Crystal will be together permanently."**_

Eclipso numbly nods and salutes. "Do not worry, Master. I will not let you down." Soon the phantom fades into the shadows and disappears while Darkstar throws his head back and laughs evilly.

Neither Pokémon are aware of two pairs of eyes watching them from over the wall. One pair is maroon while the other pair are lavender. The owners of the eyes glance at each other.

"Raven, don't you think that he's gone too far with this?" The girl with purple eyes asks. The man with maroon eyes chuckles as he turns to rest his back against the wall. "Lily, this is my father that we are talking about." Then the duo decide to leave and the girl rides on the man's back as they fly towards a deserted island. They hide behind the sandy dunes when the robots approach. When the robots are gone, they turn to each other.

The man looks like a humanoid bird. His skin is dark and he has a black shirt and black jeans. He wears no shoes and his feet rest comfortably on the sand. His extra accessories contain a black cape and black gloves. His long raven bangs barely cover his dark maroon eyes. He has magnificent large black wings on his back that resemble an eagle's wings. The dark frown on his lips shows that he isn't a person that you would want to mess with. He has an averagely built body and is about a head taller than the girl next to him. The girl appears to be a pitch-black Grovyle with glowing lavender eyes. She has a small emerald jewel on her forehead and her head blade is split into two blades.

"I know," Lily groans as she sits on the dune next to her friend. "It's just I'm worried about my sister. Darkstar already took away my mother, so what if he does something to hurt Cryssy again?"

Raven shakes his head and smiles. "You know Crystal as much as I do. She knows what she's doing. We used to visit her before Darkstar captured her, remember? She and Laki promised to not tell anyone about us after we helped them out of Darkstar's prison. She never even told her mother about having another child."

"_Our_ mother." Lily snaps as she glares at her smiling comrade. "It isn't my fault that the exiles were too much of cowards to protect themselves. Eclipso and those sad excuses of exiles gave me up to Darkstar to save their own skins."

"We can't do anything to change that…" Raven sighs softly. "It was either going to be you or your sister. Either way, fate would have found a way to get us all together in the end. But I thought you liked your sister?"

Lily's expression softens. "I do, don't get me wrong on that. I love my sister with all my heart. But I'm honestly a little jealous of her. She has a supportive family and friends that would die for her. And she's so many things that I'm not. I didn't have any love or support since Darkstar took me away."

"You have me." Raven points out. "Kid, I've taken you away from Darkstar when you were still a baby. If he kept doing those horrible experiments on you, you would have died from neglection and infection. I have raised you as best as I could alone."

Lily smiles. "You don't count. You're my boyfriend so you're supposed to care for me." She giggles.

Raven scoffs. "Your love for me is very insulting." The duo chuckle before Raven turns serious. "But seriously, we need to get moving. We need to warn her about Eclipso."

"But won't her friends be suspicious when we arrive? We can't exactly explain about you being Darkstar's son and me being Crystal's sister…"

Raven sighs before he nods. "Point taken. Then we'll just watch over Crystal. If something goes wrong, then we'll intervene to help her."

Lily nods in agreement. "OK. Should we go back home and rest while we watch her through your Orb of Insight?"

Raven nods and stands up. He helps Lily up to her feet. Then the Grovyle jumps onto his back and holds on tightly as the humanoid bird's wings begin to flap. The duo fly away from the island and occasionally avoid robots as they fly towards their destination.

-ooo-

An hour passes after Zoroark explains everything he knows about Darkstar. Once the meeting is adjourned, everyone decides to get some rest for the night. The heroes decide to rest outside since it is a beautiful evening. Laki, Gallade, and Scalene decide to gather some berries for everyone since they had a stressful day worrying about Crystal. After the trio hand out the various baskets of fruit to their allies, Laki notices something.

"Hey, where are Crystal and Eclipso?" Laki looks around. "I haven't seen them since the meeting." She pauses. "Come to think of it, I didn't see Eclipso at the meeting."

"You're right." Violet realizes. She stands up. "Maybe we should-" Suddenly she is held back by Ribo.

"Don't worry about them. They're fine. Crystal is in her room and Eclipso is out looking for any sign of Darkstar. He told me that he'd be back soon."

Violet raises a brow while Laki shrugs. Then she holds up an extra basket of berries. "Well, someone needs to give this to Crystal. She needs to eat."

Raikou holds up a paw. "I'll do it. I need to ask Crystal something anyway."

Laki nods and gives the basket to Raikou. The tiger grabs the basket's handles with his fangs and turns to leave. Everyone starts up a conversation while a pair of sapphire eyes watches Raikou leave curiously.

-ooo-

Raikou walks down the caves as he looks around for Crystal's room. He turns slightly discouraged when he realizes that he has forgotten to ask where Crystal's room is. He is about to head back to his friends when he sees the Riolu triplets skipping towards him. The children wear silly grins.

"Uncle Raikou!" They squeal as they hug his legs. Raikou smiles down at them and pets their heads softly. "Hey, kiddos. Do you know where Crystal's room is?"

Rio nods. "We sure do! Follow us!" Soon the triplets begin to push Raikou along with them as they walk deeper down the tunnels. After a few minutes, the Pokémon stop in front of a wooden door. Raikou is certain that they are at the core of the island.

Raikou smiles at the kids. "Thanks kids." Suddenly he raises a brow. "But what are you doing deep in these tunnels? Don't you easily get lost around here?"

"Nope. You easily know your way around here when you live here for centuries." Dash smiles. Raikou remembers that the kids have inherited Laki's immortality and nods. "Right. Well, I guess I-" He blinks when he realizes that the triplets are gone. He looks around before he shrugs and looks at the door. He leans his ear against the door and tries to listen but hears nothing. He frowns; is Crystal asleep? Then the tiger takes the chance and slowly opens the door.

When he peeks inside, his eyes widen in awe. Although the cave is like all the other rooms, Raikou is amazed by what Crystal has decorated in it. Numerous different paintings and portraits are resting on the walls or floor as they are displayed. Small ground torches light up the room and are placed far away from the paintings. There is a small patch of grass on one side of the room and Raikou assumes that it must be Crystal's nest. In the other side of the room, Crystal sits on a wooden chair and paints something on a medium-size white canvas. Shelves with different paints and brushes are hung on the wall beside the canvas as the Grovyle paints.

Raikou walks into the room and quietly closes the door. As he walks closer to Crystal, he looks at the paintings. Some of them are portraits of her friends and of the Legendaries. Some of them are even scenarios of some places that he once came across. The tiger is impressed with Crystal's painting skills. Then he stops behind Crystal and looks at what she is painting. He stumbles back in shock; she is painting an exact replica of the Valley of Origins. The scenery is showing a part of the cliff with the tall tree and most of the valley with the mountains, forests, and lake. The grass is gold and the sun is setting behind the mountains. Crystal displays various colors of purple, gold, and blue for the sunset.

The tiger is silent as Crystal finishes painting the final texture to the grass. The Grovyle stares at it before she nods in approval. She smiles at the picture before she sighs and leans back against her chair tiredly.

"It's beautiful, Crystal." Raikou says finally. Crystal turns her head to look at Raikou and smiles before she wipes the sweat off her forehead. "Thank you, Raikou."

Then Crystal begins to clean up her painting utensils and puts everything away. "Was there something that you needed?"

Raikou holds up the basket of berries in his fangs. "I came here to give this to you. The others and I thought you were hungry and…" He trails off.

Crystal smiles and pats Raikou's cheek fondly. "Thank you, Raikou. That's very thoughtful of you."

Raikou nods before he turns to look at the paintings. Crystal smiles at his fascinated look. "I see that my artwork fascinates you."

"Have you painted all of these in the last hour?" Raikou asks curiously. Crystal laughs. "Nope; I may be good, but I'm not _that_ good." Crystal turns the chair around and sits on it as she looks at Raikou. "I have painted all of these over the last few centuries. I kept them hidden from everyone for quite some time now."

"But why do you hide them? Don't you know how amazing your artwork is?"

Crystal smiles sadly. "That's sort of the thing. I treasure all my artwork; I wouldn't be happy if someone stole them and claimed them as their own. I took time in making these paintings because all of them represent a place or person that means a lot to me."

Raikou looks at the paintings again before he glances at her finished canvas. "When did you start doing this?"

"After I escaped from Darkstar." Crystal answers. She assumes that Raikou means when did she start a painting hobby.

"No; I mean when did you start doing _this_?" Raikou gestures to the painting of the Valley of Origins. Crystal pauses and looks thoughtful. "About three months ago. I saw this valley through a dream and somehow knew that it's real. I couldn't get the vision out of my head and did an outline for a while. I had to stop painting because of the whole fiasco with Darkstar capturing you, Darkrai, and Ash."

Raikou nods in understanding. Then he frowns. "I also came here to ask you something."

"What might that be?" Crystal asks curiously.

Raikou hesitates before he sighs. "It might sound weird, but do you get this feeling where something is out of place? That there's something you should know about and yet you don't? Some sort of a sixth sense that something might happen?"

Crystal frowns when Zoroark pops into her mind. "Hmm…" Crystal then shakes her head. "I wouldn't worry about it." Then she forces herself to smile and wraps an arm around Raikou's neck. She holds her basket with her free hand. "Besides, tonight we need to relax with our friends. We need some rest before we plan on what to do about Darkstar."

Raikou forces himself to smile at Crystal. "OK." Then the duo walk out of the room and begin to talk about random topics. Silence enshrouds the room as soon as the door closes behind the Pokémon.

Suddenly a pair of glowing sapphire eyes opens from the shadows and looks at the door. Then the owner of the eyes walks out of the shadows with an unsure look on his face. The fox has snuck in while the duo were talking and hid in the shadows until they left. The fox turns to look at Crystal's painting and his eyes widen in awe and wonder as he traces the beautiful texture.

He is certain that Crystal is the reincarnation of his lover; why else would she have the perfect memory of the Valley of Origins? With determined eyes, Zoroark glances at the painting before he turns and leaves the room.

**Support and feedback, please!**


	28. Chapter 28: Confession

**Super close! More support, please!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 28: Confession**

Crystal and Raikou reach outside to the main floor and take in the night breeze as they enter the valley. Enjoying the scent of fresh air, the two heroes take the chance to look around and see that their allies are sitting on the grass nearby the lake and talking to one another. Some rings of laughter ring through the valley as their conversations vary. Crystal immediately knows that all is going well. Suddenly she realizes something and frowns in confusion.

"Where's Eclipso?" She looks around for the young phantom after realizing that her dear friend is missing.

"Ribo said that he is out patrolling. I wouldn't worry too much about him," Raikou shrugs. Then he smiles as he starts to head towards his friends. Crystal hesitates for a moment before following the tiger. A thoughtful frown forms on her snout. If what Raikou says is true, then why can't she sense Eclipso's aura? Is he-

"Cryssy! There ya are!" Rocky waves cheerily to the white Grovyle. His shout makes everyone turn to face Crystal and smile at her. Crystal smiles as she waves back to the Rhyperior. Then she joins the heroes sitting on the ground and sits right next to Raikou. "Sorry, guys. I was just finishing something. No worries, though." She apologizes.

"OK, if you say so." Violet shrugs. Then she grins as she wraps an arm around Cotton's shoulder. The pink Lopunny grins as she hugs the ghost back. It is quite obvious to everyone that the women are best friends now. "But listen; Cotton has a good story. And boy, is it funny!"

"Funny in a sadistic and twisted way," Ribo corrects as he takes a sip of his water and shakes his head at the female phantom. Crystal smiles and scoots closer to her friends as she listens to Violet and Cotton share their story. The Legendaries also listen into the story and share their input on the information. This earns lots of laughter as everyone enjoys their time together.

Raikou notices something off the distance just behind Scalene and Gallade's shoulders. He leans forward to get a better visual and squints slightly. To his surprise, Zoroark is walking towards the flight of stairs leading to the cliffs. The fox holds a thoughtful expression and narrowed eyes as he looks up at the sky.

Not wanting to make a big scene, Raikou gently nudges Darkrai and Ash. This makes them turn to look at the tiger in annoyance or confusion. Raikou makes a gesture with his eyes towards Zoroark's direction and the two men turn to look at the fox. When they see Zoroark alone, they quirk their eyebrows.

"Haven't you noticed that he's acting a little strange?" Raikou whispers, making sure that the other Pokémon won't hear him. Darkrai and Ash think about his question and then shrug. Raikou sighs as he explains, "He changes his personality randomly. He's a confident leader that suddenly changes into a nervous wreck. It usually happens whenever he looks at or speaks directly to Crystal."

This is true; if Zoroark so much as looks at or acknowledges Crystal, then he acts very uncomfortable. The boys then realize that the fox would be at the farthest end of a room when Crystal is around. He always sends the princess nervous glances every now and then.

Darkrai and Ash haven't given much thought about it. But now that they think about it, they realize that it's a big issue. As Crystal's guardian, Zoroark needs to protect the princess and yet he cannot stand to be within a few feet near her.

"Should we get Crystal and-"

"No; that'll probably make it only worse." Raikou shakes his head before Ash could finish the question. The boys watch the fox's movements cautiously. Suddenly Zoroark looks over at their direction and holds a slightly nervous look and another expression… Sadness.

Why is he so sad? What is it about Crystal that is making Zoroark upset? It's not as if he and the lizard have met before… Right?

Then the men notice Zoroark letting out a large sigh. Then he shakes his head and begins to walk forlornly up the stairs, dragging his feet in the process. The three heroes' bewildered looks now turn into concern. They ignore their friends' conversation as they wonder about what is bothering the fearless leader.

"Why don't we go see what's biting him?" Raikou suggests as he glances over at Darkrai and Ash. The two men hold looks of surprise as they look back at Raikou. "You know; just a regular guy-to-guy talk. If we involve anyone else, it might not end well. Besides, if it does involve Crystal in any way, then we gotta know so we can figure out some way to solve the problem."

"But why us?" Darkrai asks as he crosses his arms.

"Because apparently we are the only people here that notices Zoroark's behavior." Raikou states smartly. Darkrai pauses and notices that no one else is looking for the fox or has even noticed his lack of presence. Then Darkrai sighs quietly.

"Fine, kid. We'll do it your way, but for your sake I hope that you're right," He mutters as floats up. Raikou lets out a small smile as he and Ash stand up. Some of the heroes notice and look at them curiously.

"We'll be back. We're just gonna train with our new affinities," Raikou covers themselves with a good excuse to leave. This seems to convince the heroes since they merely nod and turn back to the conversation. The three boys quickly head towards the stairs. They look up at the flight for a moment before they take a deep breath and climb up the stairs. They fail to see that Crystal is watching them with a raised brow.

By the time the three heroes reach up to the top, they are nearly out of breath. Apparently, they had no idea how high they have climbed. They look back at the valley and see that the group is now the size of a marble from a distance. Pulling themselves together, the three men then look around for the fox but find no sign of him anywhere.

"Where'd he go?" Both Darkrai and Raikou ask at the same time. Ash taps them on their shoulders and then points to the side. The heroes turn to see that Zoroark is sitting on the edge of the cliff right next to a familiar berry tree and is watching the moon rising. Zoroark's body almost looks like an eclipse due to his black outline sitting in front of the moon. He holds his legs together as he enjoys the tranquility of the night.

The heroes quietly make their way towards the fox and watch him as the wind blows gently through their bodies. Zoroark doesn't seem to know that they are there since he makes no acknowledgement to their presence.

Unbeknownst to the heroes, Zoroark is thinking about them at this very minute. He knows that he has to make sure that Darkrai, Raikou, and Ash are safe as well. The three men seem close to Crystal. Maybe Zoroark can talk to them about what has been troubling him. He has no doubt that at least one person (save his own team) has noticed his behavior by now and wants to talk to him about it. If Zoroark is going to confess, he feels that Darkrai, Raikou, and Ash should be the ones that he should talk to. He feels like he can trust them with his issue. But can he?

"Zoroark, are you OK? Everyone's downstairs and you're up here all alone." As if he heard Zoroark's thoughts, Ash speaks out of nowhere and scares the daylights out of the fox. Ash frowns when he takes a better look at Zoroark once the fox turns around. Zoroark's face is pale and Ash notices that the fox's eyes are a little bloodshot and wet. Had Zoroark been crying?

"Don't scare me like that!" Zoroark takes in a deep breath as he clutches his furry chest. He then quickly wipes his eyes with his other paw. He eases a little as he turns to face the men and sits down cross-legged with his arms on his lap. Zoroark stares at the three heroes for a couple of moments before he speaks. "Actually, this is the perfect time. May I speak with you three for a moment?" He asks calmly.

"Um, sure…" Ash glances at the two Legendaries beside him. They shrug as they sit down right in front of the fox. Hopefully, Zoroark is going to tell them about what has been bothering him ever since he has arrived and how it is related to Crystal. "What's up?" Ash asks.

Zoroark rubs the back of his neck. The heroes have never seen him do this but it is plain obvious that the fox is nervous. The fox clears his throat and puts his paws on his lap as speaks more clearly. "Well, I want to talk to you boys about something that I hardly ever speak to anyone else about. It's something that I don't ever want to think about since it has happened long before I have met you all."

Darkrai's frown deepens and he gestures for Zoroark to continue. "What is it about?" He asks.

Zoroark says nothing for a long time as he tries to find the right words to say. "I want to talk to you about a spy that has once worked for Darkstar thousands of years ago."

"A spy?" Raikou crosses his arms in front of him and leans forwards to make himself comfortable. He looks at Zoroark in confusion. The fox wants to talk about a spy that has been long dead? Is he serious? But this seems important to Zoroark; if it bothers him greatly, then it must be serious.

"Yeah, but I have never thought of her as a spy," Zoroark continues as he glances to the side. He rests his elbow on his lap as he holds his cheek with his paw.

The heroes catch that last part of the sentence and their interest peaks. "Her? The spy was a girl?" Raikou asks curiously.

The dreamy look that appears on Zoroark's face catches the heroes off guard. "She was a girl, all right. A brilliant, kind, strong, and brave girl who has always looked at the bright side of things and has helped many Pokémon in need. A girl that I have fallen deeply in love with…" Zoroark's shoulders slump as he cups his chin.

The four men don't realize that a certain white lizard is hiding behind the berry tree as she watches them. Confusion strikes through Crystal's heart as she listens in. Confusion and… A deep feeling of recognition…

**Support, please!**


	29. Chapter 29: Zoroark's Painful Past

**Longest. Chapter. _Ever_. Seriously; over 30 pages on Microsoft! I seriously thought about making this chapter a separate story, but I decided against it. Enjoy it! I think it's one of the better chapters of the story overall.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 29: Zoroark's Painful Past**

_The day when I met my soul mate is one that I easily remember. It has happened not too long after I have become the general of Reshiram and Zekrom's most powerful armies. I have been promoted as their most trusted general and friend. It has been but after a week of my command that I have found an injured girl washed ashore on our beach. She has apparently been in a shipwreck from one of Darkstar's attacks and is the only survivor. I have taken her under my care regardless of how suspicious the other Pokémon have been of her. And it is probably at this time when I have first looked at her eyes… Her beautiful gold eyes that remind me of the glowing sun… That is when I knew that somehow, someway, this girl would change my life forever. And her actions have never once been evil in any way. It is during our first night together when I knew that I had fallen in love with a beautiful rose._

_But back then, I have failed to realize that every rose has its thorns… And because of my rash actions… Because of my stubbornness… I have lost not only my life but also the one person that I hold dearest to my heart. Possibly forever…_

_For centuries, I have tried to find her soul in the afterlife, but to no avail. Even with my friends being at my side, they give me no comfort. I have prayed to Alpha and Omega that one day, I would hopefully see the love of my life again._

_If I have one wish, it would be to be with my soul mate once more. To hold her and to tell her how much I love her. To promise her that I would never let her go again._

-ooo-

A dark shadowed figure floats around a large stone pedestal. The atmosphere holds nothing but black and purple swirls entangling each other to add an eerie scene. The land is filled with nothing but dead trees and bushes brushing against each other intimately. In the middle of the decayed forest is what looks like a small opening with eight large silver boulders with ropes attached to each other and strange designs of thunder and fire carved onto them. Seven different colored candles in small bowls are placed in front of each of the seven boulders surrounding the pedestal.

The mysterious being floats around the pedestal at the center of the opening. On the stone is something covered by a brown blanket. Like the other seven stones, the pedestal has strange designs on it in. The shadow being sighs as it stops circling around the pedestal. It bears razor sharp fangs as its blood red eyes glow brightly from the slight darkness.

"_**The time has come for my plan to take effect…"**_ The being states darkly. He hisses as he walks towards one tall stone and looks at its markings in a bored matter. Then he speaks out again in the voice of a commanding tone.

"_**Seven affinities of life, as once a God of all living things beside my counterparts, I ask of you to help me produce a new life!"**_

Suddenly the wind blows forcefully through the dark being. He closes his eyes and smiles to himself. He then looks down at the blue candle below the boulder and kneels down before it.

"_**Affinity of water, I command you to place blood through this child's veins! Let her have the strength to fight as powerfully as Legendaries do! Let her roam through this world with limitless energy!"**_

Suddenly the candle begins to glow a bright blue color. The being steps back as the candle suddenly shoots a bolt of lightning above the covered object on top of the pedestal. The candle continues to shoot electricity and soon a small blue ball of light forms above the covered object. It stays above the pedestal as the electricity continues flowing through it.

Satisfied, the being turns to face a boulder that has a black candle before it.

"_**Affinity of darkness, I command you to place your powers of darkness through this child's heart! Let her follow your path to dominate the world and let her use your strength to fulfill her destiny!"**_

Like the blue candle, the black candle also begins to glow. Then it shoots a bolt of black electricity towards the glowing ball. As both candles continue shooting electricity, the glowing orb begins to hold a mixture of black and blue waves flowing around inside it.

Then the being calls out to the other five candles and commands all affinities to help him with his plans.

"_**Affinity of fire, I command you to fill this child's body with the heat and passion of your flames! Give her the power as hot and fiery as your flames are!"**_

"_**Affinity of electricity, I command you to jolt this child into life! Give her the speed and mind of a steady warrior that is cautious and strong! Give her legs that will let her outmatch the speed of a pack of Luxray!"**_

"_**Affinity of Earth, I command you to nurse this child with health! Give her the gift of immunity! She is to be powerful and impenetrable!"**_

"_**Affinity of air, I command you to let this child breathe into her life! Guide her to her decisions for my favor and lead her to her destiny! Give her the oxygen to live her life to fulfill her purpose!"**_

"_**And affinity of light, I command you to give this child a heart! She is to be as smart as she is evil! She will see the differences between good and evil and choose by my favor of things!"**_

Soon all the candles glow and shoot different beams of light at the orb. The orb has grown bigger and is ranging different colors of blue, black, white, light blue, red, yellow, and green. It looks almost like a rainbow orb from a certain perspective.

The being then turns to face the pedestal. Looking up at the orb, it says in a superior voice, _**"Affinities of life, you have granted my wish to create life within this protoform! In return, I vow that this child will fulfill her purpose to befriend Zoroark and have her lead him to his doom! I will see to it that my hand will slay his heart and soon I will eliminate Reshiram, Zekrom, and all their allies afterwards! Should I in any way fail, then cast my spirit away! Banish me into exile and have me sleep until the time has come for me to retry my goals once more! And should I ever fail by the third time, have my soul shatter into nothing but dust! I have spoken my vows! This I swear! Now give me a new child to call my own and let my fate be sealed!"**_

His voice echoes and the wind picks up the speed as the ball sparkles into life. Suddenly the candles stop shooting light beams and their flames go out. The glowing ball continues levitating above the pedestal and crackles in electricity. It then slowly begins to lower towards the cloaked object.

The shadowed being lets a large smile come to his face as the ball comes in contact with the object. A large flash of light illuminates the area and blinds the being briefly. He shuts his eyes until the flash disappears. He reopens his eyes and looks down to see that nothing has happened. He patiently stands still and waits for something to happen.

Suddenly, the object under the blanket begins to move. It fidgets for a moment before its arm takes off the blanket and reveals itself for the whole universe to see. It appears to be a black and white female Grovyle. Her gold eyes flash brightly before confusion covers her features.

The Grovyle looks at her claws with furrowed eyebrows. "W-What am I…?" she speaks aloud. She blinks as she fingers her throat. "I can talk?" She then looks around her surroundings until she sees the mysterious being. Instead of being intimidated, she raises her brow up at him. The being smiles down at her.

"_**Good evening, my child,"**_ The being bows his head politely. _**"Given the circumstances, I am your father. My name is Darkstar. I have created you. Welcome to the land of the living."**_

"… Father?" The Grovyle asks. "You have… Created me? For what purpose?"

"_**I have a task that only I can trust you to accomplish. It will take a lot of skill and work, but it will be worth it. Once you have completed your destiny, then I will let you go free to do as you decide. But for now, you will remain with me and I will teach you everything that you need to know. Is that a fair deal?"**_

The Grovyle holds a thoughtful look as she narrows her eyes up at her supposed father. Then she sighs and shrugs. "Eh, I might as well. But… Since you have a name, what name should I have?"

"_**Ah, an efficient question, my dear."**_ Darkstar chuckles as he smiles down at her. He thinks for a moment before a thought comes to him. _**"How about Crystalline?"**_

The Grovyle frowns. "Why after a stone?" She asks.

"_**The stone itself glows and is quite lovely to look at. Just like you, my dear."**_ Darkstar smiles. _**"Crystals are very powerful stones that are used as protective amulets from certain spells. I will be teaching you certain psychic abilities so it fits."**_

The Grovyle hums as she taps her chin. Then she looks up at Darkstar and says, "The name doesn't sound half bad." She then forms her first smile. "But let's shorten it to Crystal. Crystalline sounds way too formal for my liking."

Darkstar grins. _**"Deal."**_ He then holds a thoughtful look as he looks down at his daughter. _**"Now, dear child, are you ready to prepare to fulfill your destiny?"**_

Crystal slowly gets off the pedestal and steadies herself to stand up. After balancing herself, she looks up at her father and smirks as she places her hands on her hips. "Let's do it."

-ooo-

"_**Is everything all right, Zoroark?"**_

The young fox blinks as he averts his attention away from the great valley before him to look at his leaders. They are in the forms of two ghostly balls; one is white and the other is black. The mystical glowing orbs float towards him and stand at either side of him. The three men are standing on a large cliff that has a large willow tree at the top. Far out into the distance, green grass lushes through the magnificent valley as tiny forms of Pokémon scatter around. A large lake takes half of the valley and large waterfalls pour water down from the cliffs that surround the lake. On another half of the valley, various plants and trees bloom into life. If one has a keen eye, he or she would be able see various tree houses planted onto the trees' branches while standing on the cliff. The sun is setting behind the mountains and creates a beautiful sunset. The sky's colors range from gold, red, pink, and purple.

It is no wonder that Zoroark is sitting on top of the cliff. He practically has the best seat in the area to watch the sunset!

But that is not the case for the young general. He has been lost in deep thought and coming up to this cliff always helps clear his thoughts. He has been doing this for quite some time, especially after experiencing this dream that he keeps having. All that Zoroark can remember from his dream is feeling something that he has never felt before. Then afterwards he would feel pain, anger, betrayal, loss, confusion and afterwards… nothing. This same dream has been haunting him for four days, and because of this he has been restless. He cannot go to sleep without the fear of experiencing the strange feelings again. The overwhelming feelings would usually end up having the fox waking up screaming or in a cold sweat, but Zoroark would then realize that he is back in the real world and all that has happened is that his subconscious has given him a random and wild rendezvous with the deepest pits of his mind.

Long story short: Zoroark would like to get back to sleeping decently.

Even his friends have noticed his strange behavior. The first night Zoroark has screamed himself awake from his dream. His younger brother had the expression one would wear that despite he is genuinely worried for a companion, he has the strong belief that the companion has lost his mind. Even his other most trusted companions, a cowboy Cacturne named Logan, a sassy shiny Lopunny named Cotton, and a mystical shiny Absol named Midnight, think that Zoroark must be losing his mind. Cotton would casually joke that it's because of all the stress that he has been dealing with as a newly appointed general. Zoroark would agree with the theory, but it doesn't necessarily explain the strange dreams he would be having. And on the second night, it has happened again, but this time Zoroark wakes up feeling cold. He must have been quiet because his allies were still sleeping. Zoroark has decided to keep this issue to himself since he doesn't want to worry his friends.

But even still, he finds no answer to help solve this dilemma. He has forced himself awake for the next two days and uses the excuse to stay up all night to patrol the valley. But this makes Zoroark in desperate need for sleep, but he has no idea what to do.

"_**Is everything all right?"**_ Reshiram asks again. Zoroark faces the white glowing ball besides him and nods quickly.

"Yes, Sir," He says briskly. After another silence, he adds, "I'm just… Adjusting to my new position."

"_**I see…"**_ Zekrom's accented voice speaks out thoughtfully. Zoroark looks at the black orb. _**"Is there anything that you wish to speak to us about?"**_ He asks.

Zoroark ponders on if he should tell his leaders about his sleeping problem. Surely the great Gods of all things would help him figure out the issue. But then he begins to rethink; if he should go to anyone about dreams and nightmares, then he should go see Midnight. She almost always knows about the deceased spirits' intentions for sending specific dreams. Midnight has explained that it is usually their way to warn someone if something important is about to happen. They give visions to Pokémon, per say. For specific reasons.

So is this dream that he is having a warning of something?

Zoroark shakes his head. "No, I'm fine. But thank you for your concern."

The glowing balls just float right next to Zoroark silently. Zoroark looks intently at them and waits for some sort of response. Finally, after another moment of silence, both Gods sigh.

"_**Zoroark, you know that we hate it when you lie to us,"**_ Reshiram states patiently. Zoroark gapes at the white orb.

"_**But when you are ready to tell us what's wrong, then you know how to call us,"**_ Zekrom adds bluntly.

Before Zoroark could say anything, the orbs disappear in a flash of light. Zoroark blinks before guilt washes over him.

How could he not trust his own masters with his problems? They trust him with everything and he repays them by lying to them. Zoroark feels like a sad excuse of a friend and general.

Sighing in defeat, he decides that there is no point calling back the Legendaries. He needs to relax when he does talk to his leaders about the issue. He'll do that hopefully by tomorrow. But right now he needs to find the one place other than the cliff that helps calm his nerves. Suddenly a place comes to his mind and he smiles. The beach.

Without another thought, Zoroark turns and starts running down the cliff. Everything around him turns into a blur as he picks up his speed. Closing his eyes, he uses his telekinesis to guide him through the forest. After a few moments, he opens his eyes and finds himself at a large beach. He smiles as he looks out at the distance. The sky has turned slightly dark with black and purple colors. One would be unnerved by the sight, but Zoroark honestly loves taking a stroll in the evening.

He closes his eyes and lets the wind blow through his fur. Immediately a sense of relief and peace washes over him and his nerves relax as he hears the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore. Absolutely nothing could ruin this moment.

Zoroark's nose catches a whiff of something and furrows his brows in confusion. The smell is new and it's almost unpleasant. But then Zoroark's heart stops as soon as the fox realizes what the scent is.

_Blood…_

He opens his eyes and looks around Suddenly his heart drops as his eyes widen in horror.

A girl is lying against the shore of the beach. On closer inspection, Zoroark sees that she is a black and white Grovyle. She his several cuts and bruises all over her body. One of her legs is shaped awkwardly and Zoroark realizes that she must have broken her leg. Blood seeps down the girl's body onto the wet sand and is carried by the waves into the sea.

Zoroark rushes straight over to the girl. He carefully turns her over and inspects her. Then he leans his head over her chest. She's still alive but she isn't breathing. Then Zoroark wastes no time performing CPR. He uses mouth-to-mouth contact and then pushes down hard onto the girl's stomach, demanding to get the water out of her esophagus. He repeats this process for several minutes until the girl spits out water and gasps for air. Relieved, Zoroark sits back as the girl catches her breath but he holds her close to his chest for warmth. Her skin is as cold as ice. How long has she been in the water? Zoroark hopes not long enough for her to have hypothermia.

He pauses; what _was_ this girl doing in the water in the first place?

Suddenly his nose picks up smoke and his brows furrow. He turns his head to look out into the horizon and what he sees makes his heart sink.

A large cargo ship is in flames. The last remains of the ship are starting to scatter after they burn down to the sea. Zoroark wonders how on Earth he has missed the sight until now. But one thing is for sure. This girl must have been on that ship. She has been attacked.

Zoroark growls as he watches the black flames roar in the distance and destroy the ship and all its possessions. There is only one person he knows that can summon black flames.

_Darkstar…_

The girl lets out a moan and snaps Zoroark out of his dark thoughts. He immediately looks down at her as she squirms slightly under his strong hold. Her brows furrow before her eyes slowly start to open. And then she looks up at him.

And Zoroark looks back down at her.

Gold eyes meet with sapphire eyes.

Both are stunned by what they are seeing. Zoroark has seen many gold eyes of the common Grovyle, but somehow this girl's eyes have captivated him. It is like he is looking at the sunrise and sunset all over again through those pools. He doesn't know why, but a sense of deep longing is screaming at him from his inner heart. Zoroark ignores this feeling and continues to stare at the girl.

Meanwhile, the girl is having thoughts of her own. For the past several months, she has been training with her father for this very moment to happen. She has the power to summon all seven affinities at once. But she honestly prefers the water and light affinities above the other five affinities. Then her father has trained her patiently yet forcefully to maximize her psychic abilities. She now has the power to kill someone with her mind and blocks someone from invading her mind. Her father has developed ideas on how she will behave around the enemies when she spies on them, but how she is going to approach them is the problem.

Then her father has come up with a brilliant plan. A few months after he believes that his pawn is ready, he will place her onto a ship and have her look as if she is merely cruising through the shore. Then he will make it painfully obvious that he has attacked the ship and all its cargo with dark flames. Then she will wash about to the shore and act like she is injured until Zoroark shows up and decides to care for her. Her father knows that Zoroark will never refuse helping Pokémon in need no matter how foreign they are. Then the plan is as the girl 'heals' up, she develops strong bonds with the enemies, especially Zoroark. But the two have been thinking about how hard she will have to work because the army is very suspicious about anything arriving on their lands. And once they see the black and white Grovyle, their suspicion will only increase. Then once she has Zoroark completely alone, her father will arrive once the protective shield around the valley breaks and kill him. Then afterwards the two Pokémon will face the army and take them out one by one. And as her father has promised, if he completes his domination over the world, then Crystal is free to live her life as she chooses.

The girl wonders if her father has planned for her to be really injured due to her broken leg. But she ignores the pain as she stares deeply at Zoroark's eyes. The orbs of her favorite color stare down at her in deep concern as she looks back up at him. The girl doesn't know why, but these eyes have captivated her completely. Other than her father, she never really has seen another living being before. Her heart flutters as something in her chest twists and calls out in longing. Why, the girl does not know. Then she realizes how cold she is and shivers.

On reaction, Zoroark sits up straight and holds the girl closer to his furry chest. He transmits all his body heat to her. The girl stops shivering and curls around Zoroark's chest. She sighs in content as the heat surrounds her body. Zoroark ignores the fact that the girl's blood is soaking his fur; he is much more concerned for the physical and mental state of the female Grovyle.

"Are you OK?" Zoroark asks the girl gently. He does not avert his eyes from hers as he continues holding her.

The girl doesn't respond, but she merely stares at Zoroark. Her look of wonder and confusion is evident as her feelings are. She doesn't know why, but this being fascinates her. His kindness and hospitality… He is nothing like her father has described him. Her father has said that out of all of his worst enemies, Zoroark is on the top of the list. The fox has power to take down hundreds of Tyrannitar and he is as dangerous as he looks. Crystal is very aware of who this fox is; he fits her father's physical description, but she cannot believe what she is witnessing in person.

His kind blue eyes are obviously looking around for any other wounds. Zoroark holds a somewhat sad look on his face, which confuses the girl. Why does he care?

Then the Grovyle realizes that most of the things that her father has told her about Zoroark are false. Yes, he is powerful; she can sense his aura blazing his strength. But using her telepathy powers, she knows that everything else about Zoroark is false. He is not dangerous, cruel, or demanding in any way. He is very gentle with his work, kind with his words, and is the most patient being the girl has ever seen.

Suddenly panic washes over the girl. She realizes that Zoroark is also a telepath. She quickly blocks her mind with her powers so he won't read her thoughts and discover that all of this has been a plot to his doom. She only hopes that she is not too late, otherwise all her training has been a waste.

Seeing the girl's distraught look, Zoroark tries to read her mind. He frowns when he realizes that it is blocked. He sighs; it looks like this girl is a telepath herself and she has blocked her mind from him. It is obvious as daylight by the look of doubt covering her features that she does not trust him. Zoroark smiles. He just needs to calm her down and show that she is not in any danger.

"You have nothing to fear from me, young one," He states softly. He carefully wipes some blood off her cheek. She closes her eyes by his touch, but her frown remains strong. "You're safe, now."

The girl continues to stay silent as she looks at Zoroark with narrowed eyes. She crosses her arms, clearly showing her distrust. Zoroark chuckles mentally in amusement; this girl is as stubborn and hardheaded as Cotton is.

Speaking of the pink Lopunny…

"Zoroark! There ya are!" The shiny female Pokémon calls out to him. Zoroark doesn't turn around, but he senses four beings approaching behind him. Using his telepathy, he realizes that Cotton has also tagged Midnight, Logan, and Zorua with her. They haven't noticed the girl quite yet.

"We have been looking all over for you!" Cotton continues ranting as she walks forwards with outstretched arms. She waves them dramatically as she gets closer. "We asked some soldiers about where you would be, and they said that you were sitting up on the cliff. When we got there, we find out that you weren't there either!" Cotton pouts. "But Midnight sensed that you have come here so we followed your trail! Did you really think that you could outrun-"

Cotton stops her speech as soon as she sees the red blood seeping down the sand in front of Zoroark. Her eyes bug out. Apparently not seeing what is really going on, Cotton begins her rant again. "Oh. My. Arceus. Zoroark, why didn't you tell us that you are a girl? Seriously, the whole dream thing and random mood swings are confusing, but now I see what's really going on with ya! You're in that time of the month that I will not mention because some Pokémon here don't understand that it is natural for us females to have this situation and-"

"Cotton, I'm not having a menstrual cycle," Zoroark groans in exasperation as he stands up and turns around with the Grovyle in his arms. As soon as Cotton sees the girl, her eyes bug out again and her face slightly flushes. _"Ohh…"_ Cotton smiles sheepishly.

Midnight's eyes widen as soon as she sees the state that the girl is in. The red and white Absol walks up and holds a concerned look in her blue eyes. "Young lady, are you all right? What's your name?" She asks.

Crystal is still getting over her amusement and confusion. She raises one of her brows as she looks at the other four Pokémon before she looks up at Zoroark.

"Ah, yes. How rude of us not to introduce ourselves," Zoroark states as he adjusts the girl carefully in his arms. "I am Zoroark, the leader of Reshiram and Zekrom's army."

The girl mentally rolls her eyes. Of course she knows who he is.

Zoroark then glances at each of his friends as he speaks to the girl. "And these are my most trusted soldiers and friends. The Cacturne is Logan, my second in command. The Lopunny is Cotton, my third in command. The Absol is Midnight, the healer and advisor of my team. And the small fella is my younger brother Zorua."

The girl still says nothing as she looks at the Pokémon suspiciously. While she thinks, she realizes that in order for her father's plan to work, she will have to talk to the Pokémon in some way.

"Geez, can't talk much?" Cotton snidely remarks as she crosses her arms. She narrows her pink eyes at Crystal suspiciously. Zoroark narrows his eyes and begins to scold the Lopunny for her hostility.

"Lay off the girl, Cotton!" He glares at the pink rabbit angrily. "She was just attacked!"

"How?" Cotton raises a brow.

Zoroark points at the burning shipwreck away from shore. Once the Pokémon see it, they understand.

"Darkstar again?" Logan asks. He holds an unimpressed looks as he crosses his arms. Like Zoroark, he and the others know that the black flames are of Darkstar's dark powers. No one else can hardness the ability to twist the affinities for evil purposes.

"I'm afraid so…" Zoroark sighs as he closes his eyes and shakes his head at the shipwreck.

The Grovyle raises her gaze to look directly at Zoroark's eyes. "… Crystal." She says very quietly.

"Hmm?" Zoroark blinks as he looks down at her.

"Crystal," The girl says a little louder. "My name is Crystal."

"Crystal, huh? That's a nice name," Zoroark compliments. He smiles down at the girl, glad that she is able to speak formally. "Now, how about I take you back to our home and heal you up? Meanwhile, you can tell me about what has happened to your ship."

Before Crystal could respond, Cotton beats her to it.

"Nuh-uh, Zoroark," The Lopunny shakes her head. "You know the rules; we can't take any chances of bringing in foreigners. How do we know that she hasn't inflicted those wounds on herself just to make us feel guilty and take her in?"

Crystal's eyes widen as she looks at the stubborn Lopunny. Then her eyes narrow in anger as she points accusingly at the third in command. "Who do you think you are accusing me of being a fraud? My leg is broken and my ship has just been destroyed by this thing that you call 'Darkstar'! You have no proof that I'm faking my injuries!" Crystal keeps herself in a good acting pose and decides to act dumb about everything concerning her father. She can earn good favor from the Pokémon and have them see that is at least not on his side.

Cotton looks stunned by the girl's snappy defense. All of the Pokémon do. Then Cotton's eyes narrow as she puts her hands on her hips. "I'd better watch what I say around these parts, girlie. You'll see that, unlike Zoroark, not all of us are very friendly to outsiders." She sneers.

"So what do you plan to do? Leave me here to bleed to death?" Crystal sneers back as she fights her way out of Zoroark's arms. She grimaces as she lands on her bad foot but manages to stand up on her own. "Fine. Have it your way." Crystal then turns and makes it look as if she is about to leave when Zoroark grabs her wrist. She looks at the fox questioningly.

"Please don't leave," He has a pleading look on his face that Crystal somehow cannot say no to. "Forgive my friend; she's not exactly on friendly terms with new people." He sends a dark glare at Cotton's direction, to which the rabbit shrugs. Shaking his head at her, Zoroark turns to face Crystal. "Please at least stay until you're healed up."

"But Cotton's got a point, Zoroark," Zorua steps up to his brother and holds a worried look on his face. Crystal can tell that he is both worried about her condition and about the penalty that they might face. She has to admit that the small fella looks cute, but she forces the thought away as she hears what he has to say. "Reshiram and Zekrom have clearly stated that no one out of this valley is allowed."

"But we can't just leave the poor girl here to die," Logan sweeps his arms over at Crystal's direction. Crystal is surprised to see that he also cares for her safety. "That goes against our very ways."

Zoroark then holds a determined look on his face as he pulls Crystal close. He wraps an arm around her waist as he looks at his friends. "I'll hold myself responsible for this girl. Reshiram and Zekrom will look to me for an answer. Crystal will be under my watch until Reshiram and Zekrom decide to let her leave or become one of us." The fox smiles at Crystal's stunned look.

Crystal is about to imply on who says that she wants to stay with the Pokémon, but Zoroark's eyes make her go quiet. Something about the way Zoroark is looking at her is making Crystal hold back her cruel words. She doesn't know why, but deep in her heart she wants to stay with him.

Crystal merely nods and Zoroark's smile intensifies as he picks her up bridal style. Crystal hears Cotton sigh as she shakes her head at them.

"Fine, have it your way, Zoroark." She says in defeat. Then she narrows her eyes at Crystal. "But be careful; who knows what this girl is capable of."

Hearing this comment, Crystal smirks as she looks at the Lopunny. "I'm a telepath, so I'm capable of doing many things." Her smirk widens as Cotton steps closer to her. "So keep _that_ in mind, will ya?"

There is tense silence as the Grovyle and Lopunny share a staring contest. Their eyes don't avert from each other and everyone has the impression that Cotton might hit the girl. Because of this belief, Zoroark takes a step back away from Cotton as he holds Crystal close to his chest.

The girls continue looking at each other before Cotton lets a small smile cross her lips. She laughs as she places her hands on her hips. "I can tell that you'll get on my nerves, girl. I like you already." With that said, she huffs and leaves the beach with her head held high.

The heroes watch the Lopunny leave in silence. Crystal smiles slightly as she looks up at Zoroark. "Are all of your soldiers this welcoming?" She jokes.

Zoroark lets a small smile appear on his snout. "Oh, you have no idea." He shakes his head as he begins to follow Cotton's lead. "Lots of my men are unfriendly with outsiders. Just stay with me and no one will hurt you."

"I can take care of myself," Crystal protests as she scoffs. "I'm a telepath; I'm capable of holding someone off for as long as I can, believe me."

Zoroark smiles as he looks down at Crystal. "Then we'll see when we train, won't we?"

Somehow, his smile makes Crystal's heart flutter. She feels her cheeks heating up and realizes that she is blushing. Embarrassed, she hides her face in Zoroark's fur and says no more.

Smiling even more, Zoroark holds her close to him as he continues walking out of the beach. He is unaware of the looks that Logan, Midnight, and Zorua share with each other.

"I've never seen Zoroark act like this," Midnight states as she follows her leader. She makes sure that Zoroark doesn't listen into the conversation before continuing. "Even with his soldiers, he's never this polite or insistent on helping."

"I know," Logan nods in agreement. "What has that girl done to him?" He raises a brow at Crystal's hidden form in front of Zoroark.

"I can't detect any sort of psychic activity in Zoroark's mind," Midnight shrugs. "She's not doing anything to him, but I know that somehow something has happened between them."

Zorua holds a thoughtful look as he sees his brother holding Crystal close to him. "Could it be that they are… Developing different thoughts about each other?"

Midnight and Logan look down at the fox in confusion. "What do you mean, Zorua?" Midnight asks.

"I dunno," Zorua shrugs his shoulders as he keeps walking. He glances at the taller beings besides him. "It's just that I have a hunch that those two may develop a strong bond. And if that's the case, it'll crush Zoroark if Crystal is forced to leave."

Midnight holds a thoughtful look before she shrugs. "Maybe. But we cannot say for sure. Those two have just met, so their relationship is undetermined at this point."

"Yeah." Logan nods. "All we can do for now is keep a sharp watch on them."

The heroes nod in agreement before they catch up with their leader and start asking Crystal questions about her predicament. They fail to see a shadowy being watching them from behind the black flames of the abandoned shipwreck.

The shadowy figure floats above the dark flames, silhouetted by the smoke so no one would take notice of his presence. But there is no mistaking his glowing red eyes.

"_**The broken leg is a nice touch. Not exactly intended, but it will do for now. Crystalline will manage." **_Darkstar speaks aloud to himself. He then smiles evilly and bears his fangs as he watches the heroes leave the beach. _**"The plan has gone through perfectly. They may be in doubt now, but those fools will learn to trust Crystal and accept her. And soon, Zoroark's doom will fall under my hands. Soon, the world will be mine…"**_

With this said, Darkstar laughs evilly and disappears into nothing, leaving no trace of his existence behind.

-ooo-

Needless to say, Crystal is immediately in anything but friendly terms with the soldiers as soon as the heroes enter the village. Several Pokémon give Zoroark looks of pure disbelief while others give Crystal threatening or confused looks. But of course, neither Zoroark nor Crystal pays any heed to the Pokémon as they make their way to a large tree house.

Suddenly, two glowing balls appear in front of Zoroark and block his way. Seeing the black and white orbs, Zoroark immediately kneels before them as he carefully adjusts Crystal in his arms. Behind them, his friends and the other soldiers kneel down before the glowing balls. Crystal raises a brow as she looks at the glowing balls before them.

"_**Zoroark, what is the meaning of this?"**_ A deep voice echoes. Crystal flinches as she looks for the source of the voice, but then she realizes that it must be one of the balls that is speaking to the fox. He holds a British accent behind his patient tone.

"Forgive me, Sirs," Zoroark bows his head low as he glances up briefly at the glowing orbs. He stands up but doesn't loosen his grip on Crystal. "But I have found this girl injured on the beach. I could not leave her there to die."

"_**Zoroark, we know that you mean well. We understand your concern for this child's safety, but we have given specific orders that no foreigner is allowed in this valley."**_ The black orb floats forward. His Cockney accent sounds suspicious and stern at the same time. It is rather surprising to be afraid of this small being, but his tone itself commands total attention and respect from the other Pokémon. Several soldiers slightly back away in alarm but Zoroark and his friends remain at their spots despite that nervousness crosses their features.

Zoroark clears his throat before he replies in a strong tone, "I understand, Zekrom. I truly do. But I vow to have total supervision over this girl at all times. All I ask is that she stays here until she is completely healed up at least. Then afterwards you may decide if she is trustworthy to stay."

The moment Zoroark calls the black orb by its name, Crystal knows immediately who and what the glowing orbs are. Her father has described them as the true Gods of existence and has warned her to not be too suspicious when they are around. She must keep her mind protected at all costs, but luckily she has managed to plant a fake memory into her mind that the Gods can look upon if they sense her lying for whatever case. But lying to two Gods that have probably invented the telepathy ability itself, it is going to be very difficult convincing the mighty beings that Crystal is on their side. They might find out about the truth the moment they realize that she is hiding it purposely from them; they might have created a way to unblock all psychic powers to learn of the truth. She hopes that the Gods that she is innocent.

The orbs are silent as they remain floating in midair. Zoroark waits patiently for them to respond, not averting his eyes from their forms. After tense silence, the white orb named Reshiram sighs aloud and says, _**"Very well, Zoroark. We know that you are a man of your word, so we will take your vow. But be warned; should she try anything against our ways, then we will hold you responsible for it. Understood?"**_

Zoroark lets out a quiet sigh of relief and nods in understanding. He gives a slight smile to Crystal before Reshiram speaks again.

"_**But if Zekrom and I are to decide that she will become one of us, you will have to teach her all our ways. Share our knowledge with her and watch her every movement. Train her and make sure that she uses her abilities for good. She will be permitted to stay here after her healing for as long as she is under your watch. After three months of her training, Zekrom and I will decide if she is worthy to join our armies. We will test her on every little detail that you train her in. Each day, you will write down your progress and share it with us periodically. We will see if she is determined to prove herself to us. If she succeeds, then she will become one of us and will be treated as family. But if she fails, then she will be sent away safely back to where she has come from. Do I make myself clear on this?"**_

"Transparently, sir." Zoroark nods and shows no emotion other than relief on his features. Then Reshiram's orb floats closer. _**"What is your name, dear?"**_ He asks formally.

"Crystal." Crystal responds quickly. Then realizing who she is speaking to, she hastily lowers her head and adds, "Sir."

"_**Well, Crystal. Do you mind if Zekrom and I share a few words with you privately?"**_

Crystal pauses as she glances at Zoroark's surprised look. Then she looks back at the Gods and thinks for a moment before she shrugs. "Yes, Sir. Where do you wish for us to talk at?"

"_**In Zoroark's hut,"**_ Reshiram responds but then he pauses as he shifts his attention to Zoroark. _**"That is, if my general is fine with it."**_

"That is quite fine, Sir," Zoroark shakes away his surprise as he looks up at his leader. "You are always welcome in my home."

Seemingly pleased by Zoroark's answer, Reshiram states, _**"Very well then."**_ Then the white orb begins to float towards one of the large huts on the trees and enters through the cloaked-sealed door. He is quickly joined by his black counterpart.

"Hold on tightly," Zoroark whispers to Crystal's ear. Before Crystal could respond, Zoroark holds her tightly while he jumps from branch to branch on the tree to reach to the hut's platform. Carefully holding Crystal in his arms, Zoroark enters his home and disappears behind the red cloak.

Zoroark's friends exchange glances between each other. One moment later, Zoroark comes out of his home and jumps down to the ground to greet his friends.

"They are simply going to interrogate Crystal," Zoroark explains as he walks up to the heroes. "They need to know about her physical state and what has happened that brought her here. It might take a while, so why don't we go grab some dinner?"

About an hour later, Zoroark and his friends leave from the pink Lopunny's hut and walk back to Zoroark's tree house. They eat various Berries as they continue eating dinner. They stand right below the tree's base and look up to see that nothing has changed.

"An hour is kinda long for an interrogation, don't you think?" Logan asks as he eats his Lum Berry. Zoroark shrugs as he chews on his Sitrus Berry. He holds a large basket full of Berries and intents to give it to Crystal once she is done talking to his bosses. He figures that she must be hungry at this time.

"Just give them a little more time, Logan," Zorua walks over to his brother and looks up at the hut. "I'm sure that they're just finishing up a few more things with Crystal."

"Like wha-" Logan is immediately cut off as soon as he sees the red cloak moved aside. Crystal exits out of the hut and holds the cloak out for the glowing balls to come out. For some reason, she looks relieved and happy. Zorua sends Logan a 'What did I tell you?' look. Logan just shrugs carelessly and resumes eating his Lum Berry.

Zoroark smiles as soon as he sees Crystal. Judging by the smile on her face, he knows that the interrogation must have gone well. Carefully placing the basket of food into his large red hair for later use, Zoroark hastily jumps up from branch to branch to reach up to his platform. As he gets closer, he can hear his leaders talking to Crystal.

"_**It looks like you are ready to go, Crystalline,"**_ Zekrom holds a strangely happy tone in his voice. _**"Your physical exams are outstanding for an average Grovyle. And your aura and telekinesis abilities are extremely above normal range. Just the kind of things we need in a good soldier."**_

"Thank you, Zekrom," Crystal also holds a happy tone in her voice.

"_**Just be sure to not put too much pressure on that leg of yours for the whole night, dear," **_Reshiram has a strangely calm and happy tone in voice as well. Zoroark wonders what has happened between the three Pokémon to have them suddenly be very close to each other. Crystal even got away for not addressing Zekrom as 'Sir'. _**"But other than that concern, you should be ready to train starting tomorrow."**_

"Yes, Sir!" As soon as Zoroark reaches to the platform, he sees Crystal doing a mock salute to the white orb. He hears Zekrom chuckle.

"_**I like you, kid. You have the spirit that many of our soldiers need and I admire your optimism. You're something special, kid. No doubt about that."**_

Zoroark is astounded by what he is hearing. Zekrom and Reshiram already like Crystal as if she is their favorite niece. They are definitely less stern and more casual around her. Zoroark has never heard his masters speak so friendly to someone. Maybe there is more to Crystal than meets the eye.

"_**Zoroark,"**_ Reshiram notices Zoroark watching them and floats over to the fox. _**"Our work here is done. She is capable enough to qualify."**_

Out of the two Gods of the universe, Reshiram is the most calm and collected compared to his counterpart. Zekrom, however, is a different story. He is much more noticeably relaxed and playful despite that he is serious most of the time. He has the humor while Reshiram has the collected sternness.

"_**You're lucky, kid," **_Zekrom surprisingly chuckles as he floats over to Zoroark. _**"Quite a warrior you've found here. Train her well; I can sense another legendary soldier rising soon."**_

"_**Yes, she is a very charming girl,"**_ For once, Reshiram shares his kind input about Crystal. _**"Keep a sharp watch out for her."**_Reshiram then makes a clipboard filled with papers appear. He hands the board to a stunned Zoroark. _**"Here is all her personal information. The next few pages hold the daily progress information that she will make during her training. Do not forget to write down everything that you witness. Understand?"**_

Zoroark simply nods as he stares at the information given to him. He could not believe how easily Crystal has won the Gods' appeals in merely over an hour. It would take anyone several months to be deemed as trustworthy by the Gods. Even Zoroark himself had to take extra precautions with his actions for years. How on Earth Crystal could win the approval of the most powerful Gods in existence, Zoroark does not know.

But he admires it as much as he envies it.

Then the glowing orbs disappear in a flash of light. They leave Crystal and Zoroark alone for a moment. Then Zoroark notices that Crystal's wounds, including her broken leg, are all healed up.

"Zekrom and Reshiram healed me up," Crystal explains when she sees the fox looking at her. "They said that starting tomorrow I can train with you."

"I know." Is Zoroark's lame reply. There is another silence until Zoroark looks up at Crystal. He is about to ask something when suddenly Cotton calls out to them.

"Hey! How'd it go?" The pink Lopunny jumps up from a branch onto the platform. The other three Pokémon catch up to Cotton at the platform. Zorua sits on Logan's shoulder for support since he cannot jump so high. The Cacturne gently places the small fox onto the platform as they walk toward the duo.

Cotton stops right in front of Crystal and raises a brow when she sees the Grovyle's wounds gone. Then she shrugs carelessly and gets right to the point. "So what did they ask?"

Crystal shrugs casually as she crosses her arms. "Just the usual stuff. My age. My weight. If I know the fighting basics. And if I know the difference between boy parts and girl parts and which of the two genders has menstrual cycles." She says this last sentence with a widening smirk on her snout.

As Logan snickers behind his hand, Cotton's face turns red. She clenches her fists as she glares at Crystal. "That's very cute, but grow up. Rule number one on this valley: do not disrespect any team member or Pokémon in any way."

"I'm sorry, but _are_ we team members?" Crystal asks challengingly. "Because from my perspective, _you_ and several other Pokémon weren't exactly that friendly when you all first saw me."

Before Cotton could come up with a retort, Zoroark comes in between the girls. "Enough, you two. The last thing we need is a catfight between women tonight." He looks at Crystal with a kind smile. "In the morning, we will discuss about your training schedule."

"But Zo," Zorua speaks up as he looks uneasily at Crystal. "Where will Crystal be sleeping at?"

Zoroark pauses and realizes that Zorua has a point. "Well, I don't trust Crystal with Logan or Cotton alone. Logan will do only Arceus knows what to her." He muses. Logan holds an offended look. "And I will not be in the mood to wake up to see Cotton or Crystal or both in pieces first thing in the morning."

"Thanks for that image, Zoroark," Midnight rolls her eyes at Zoroark.

Cotton snorts. "Midnight and I don't have enough room to fit whitey's scrawny little-"

Cotton is suddenly lifted up by gold light. Alarmed, she sees that it is Crystal's doing since the white Grovyle's eyes are glowing brightly. She holds a dark frown on her face.

"Finish that sentence," She warns threateningly, "And I'll make sure that there won't be any room for you in this place."

"Can't change that, Crys," Cotton scoffs as she is lowered down to the ground. She huffs as she turns to Zoroark expectantly. "Well? Aren't you going to write this assault down?" She asks.

Zoroark smiles as he crosses his arms and holds the clipboard carefully in his paw. "Nope. I do believe that Reshiram has specifically stated that I must write down everything _during_ Crystal's training. I don't think he said anything about writing down what Crystal does beforehand."

Cotton's face falls as she gapes at Zoroark for a moment. Then she lets out a frustrated scream and clutches her large ears furiously. "I don't believe this!" She glares evilly at Crystal. "You better watch yourself; you'll figure out soon that not everyone will be your friend here."

With that, she turns on her heel and stomps down the tree's base to head back to her hut.

"She'll be fun to train with," Crystal smirks as she looks at Zoroark but frowns when she sees the fox frowning at her.

"What?" Crystal holds her hands up defensively. "I didn't mean any harm to it. All I intended to do is make her levitate until she freaks out from the height. That's not technically a physical assault."

"Of course it's not, but that's not what I'm thinking about." Zoroark smiles as he shakes his head. "I was thinking about where you should sleep."

Crystal blinks.

"Seeing that Cotton is not so willing to share her hut at any time with you and that my other soldiers will not help out, that leaves only one solution. You can stay with me and Zorua in our hut." Zoroark smiles at her formally.

Crystal merely stares at Zoroark as if he has grown a second head. Seeing her disturbed look, he shrugs. "Well, it's either that or you can sleep outside. But I hear that it's going to be very cold tonight."

"Y-You sure that you don't mind…?" Crystal can hardly believe that Zoroark is willing to share his hut with her. She wonders if he has any idea who he is dealing with.

"Not at all." Zoroark then turns to his younger brother expectantly. "Zorua, will you be OK with this?"

"Yeah, I don't mind," Zorua shrugs as he smiles at Crystal. "She can stay with us. I like her."

Crystal smiles as she walks over to the small fox and pets him fondly. He grins. "Thanks, little buddy. I like you too." Crystal states.

Crystal has already formed a special bond with the small fox the moment she has first seen him. His innocent aura shows his trust in the thought of every living being having some good inside them and Crystal admires that about Zorua. It's too bad that their friendship will end in time, though.

"Well, I guess I better get to bed then," Logan yawns as he stretches his arms over his head. "I wanna get a good night's sleep if we're gonna start the training tomorrow with ya."

"I hear ya," Zoroark nods in agreement. But because the dream from earlier is still haunting his mind, he plans to stay awake for a little longer.

"Well, good night then," Midnight nods and then smiles at Crystal. "It was nice to meet you, Crystal."

"Same here." Logan tilts his cowboy hat and waggles his brows at the Grovyle. Crystal smiles pleasantly.

"Same here." She responds. And with that, the two Pokémon turn to climb down the tree and head to their own huts for the night.

"You ready for bed?" Zoroark asks Crystal. She turns to the fox and nods with a smile. Zoroark smiles as he opens the cloaked door and gestures Crystal to enter his hut. With a thankful smile to him, Crystal enters. Zorua follows and Zoroark loosens his grip on the cloak as he enters his home.

Crystal takes a quick look around the large room. On one corner of the hut is where a large wooden table is placed. It has six chairs surrounding it and a bowl of Berries placed at the center. At another side of the room, two piles of leaves are assembled separately and Crystal assumes that they are used as beds. The only sources of light in the room are the differently colored lit candles scattered across the room. Their mixed up scents makes Crystal feel like she is at home.

She inspects a blue candle and whiffs at its scent. She raises a brow when she recognizes the smell and finds out what the candle really is.

"An affinity candle?"

"Yes," Zoroark smiles as he enters the room and places the clipboard on the table. "Each hut has at least one of the seven affinity candles. The Pokémon here always light them up for protection purposes. We ask the spirits of our ancestors to guide us during our sleep and to bless us a good night's rest."

Zoroark doesn't admit that he doesn't really believe this theory. During the first two days with his dream, the candles have been lit it and he still has the nightmare. It's not that he doesn't trust the great spirits to protect him; he just doesn't want to risk sleeping again.

Crystal raises a brow as she suddenly leans forwards and touches the candle's flame. Zoroark cries out and reaches out to her. He pauses when he sees the flame cupped in Crystal's hands, looking perfectly unaffected.

"Back at where I live, my people worship all seven affinities," Crystal smiles as she watches Zoroark and Zorua's stunned looks. "My people have at least one affinity. We hardness our powers for protection and we use them to carry on with our lives."

"And I'm guessing that your affinity is fire?" Zoroark guesses. Crystal smiles as she looks at all of the other lit candles. She carefully holds the flame in one palm as she holds her free arm out. In reaction, the other six candles' flames float to her and circle around the hand that holds the first flame.

"I actually have all seven affinities." Crystal admits as the flames join together to form a large flame in her palm. As Zorua and Zoroark watch in awe, Crystal turns to face the window and cups the flame in her hands.

"My father has said that all life is balanced between good and evil." She speaks casually. She glances down at the flame as she continues. "He says that above all others, light and darkness are the most vital affinities for life. Together, they create life and something wonderful. But when apart, there is no balance of life but only oblivion."

She smiles as she claps her hands together and blows through her fingers. Smoke seeps from her hands before it stops. Then Crystal turns to face the stunned foxes and walks towards them. Holding out her hands, she reveals a crystal that is beautifully carved into the shape of a heart. She takes Zoroark's paw and places the crystal into his palm before she closes his fingers. Zoroark looks at Crystal in confusion.

"Why are you giving me this?" He asks as he looks down at the crystal.

Crystal holds her hands together and smiles. "Think of it as a gift for saving my life." She admits shyly. "I can see greatness in you, Zoroark. You're not like anyone else I've ever met before."

"And you're not like anyone I have ever met either." Zoroark states calmly. Crystal glances up at him. Zoroark stares at her for a minute as he holds the jewel close to his chest. He coughs awkwardly and remembers something. He places the crystal into his hair before he looks at Crystal.

"I almost forgot. During your interview with my bosses, I have gotten you something to eat." Zoroark pulls out the hidden basket of Berries and hands the food out to her. Crystal stares at the offering for a moment before she smiles and takes the basket from him.

"Thank you, Zoroark. That's very kind of you," She smiles up at Zoroark. Then without warning, she places a kiss on his cheek. Zoroark stiffens as his eyes widen. Crystal turns to head to another side of the room with a smile on her face. But as soon as her back faces the foxes, she flushes and a dark frown settles on her snout.

'_Dammit! What the hell is wrong with me?'_ Crystal thinks to herself furiously. _'Crystalline, get your head out of the clouds! You're on a mission for your father's quest! You cannot get too close to the enemies no matter how nice they are to you! Zoroark won't be so nice when he finds out that you are really his enemy's daughter! Pull yourself together and stop flirting around!'_

"W-well…" Zoroark's voice speaks out. Blinking herself back into reality, Crystal forcefully stuffs a random Berry into her mouth and turns to face Zoroark. He is rubbing the back of his neck nervously as he looks at anywhere but at Crystal. Zorua holds a questioning look directed at his brother.

"Um…" Zoroark clears his throat as he straightens up and looks at Crystal. "Since there are only two beds for me and Zorua, you can take mine. I'll be outside scouting for other intruders."

"Zoroark, you need your sleep!" Zorua says urgently. "You've been out on patrol for two whole nights straight!"

Crystal puts on a look of concern. "Really? Then if that's the case…"

"No, no…" Zoroark crosses his arms as he shakes his head stubbornly. "I insist that you take my bed and-"

"Why don't we just sleep together?" Crystal asks before she thinks about it. Suddenly realizing how it sounds, she blushes a deep shade of red. Zoroark also blushes at this while Zorua raises a brow at the two adults. Then he realizes what they are thinking and his eyes widen.

"I-I mean… Um…" Crystal brushes her arms nervously as she looks at anywhere but Zoroark. "You take half of the bed and I'll take the other half… It looks big enough to hold two Pokémon…"

'_Dammit, what the hell is wrong with me?'_ Crystal screams at herself mentally.

Zoroark still blushes as he stares at Crystal's eyes. For whatever reason, he cannot say no to her look. Sighing in defeat, he says, "…Very well. I am in desperate need for sleep anyway."

Crystal forces out a smile of relief and nods. She places her food onto the table, no longer having the desire to eat after the awkward incident. In all honesty, she is more tired than she is hungry.

"All right, then…" Crystal then makes her way to the bed and sits on one side. Zoroark hesitates before he walks over to the bed and sits on the other side of the bed as far away from Crystal as he can reach. Zorua rolls his eyes as he makes himself comfortable on his pile of leaves.

'_Why do adults have to be so dramatic about this stuff?'_ He thinks to himself. He shakes his head before lies down and closes his eyes. Soon his soft snoring can be heard by the adults.

The duo are silent as they stiffen on their spots. Blushing even more, they hastily lie down and turn away from each other as they exchange quick words.

"Good night, Crystal."

"Good night, Zoroark."

After a few moments of getting used to being so near each other, the heroes calm down and relax. Soon they close their eyes and fall asleep.

-ooo-

_Crystal finds herself alone in darkness. She looks around her surroundings and realizes that she is in the forest of her homeworld for some reason. A sense of welcoming relief overwhelms her as she sighs. She suddenly hears rustling behind her and turns around to see Zoroark approaching her. For some reason, Crystal could feel her heart pounding from Zoroark's heated look._

"_Zoroark…" Crystal whispers his name as he comes closer to her. When Zoroark stops just an inch away from her, Crystal could make out his expression in the darkness. He is looking at her as if… As if he loves her. She gasps when Zoroark puts a paw on her cheek and he smiles down lovingly at her._

"_Z-Zoroark…W-What…?" Crystal asks in uncertainty. Zoroark brings his other paw up to press his finger against Crystal's lips. He tilts his head as he continues gazing down at her._

"_Shh…" Zoroark murmurs softly. His tone makes Crystal shiver in anticipation. He then begins to walk backwards and he holds her hands as he does so. "Dance with me…" He whispers as he wraps an arm around Crystal's waist and uses his other paw to hold up her hand. As they move gently to a soft rhythm, Crystal realizes that they are dancing in a field of glowing lilies! Seven different glowing orbs surround them as they dance._

_Soon Zoroark spins Crystal gently and holds her close to his chest. His smile never wavers as he cups Crystal's cheek and murmurs the one statement that leaves her mind at a buzz. "I love you…"_

_Then he kisses her. Shocked beyond belief, Crystal does nothing at first. And to her greater surprise, she finds herself kissing him back. Closing her eyes in pure bliss, she snakes her hands up his furry chest and wraps them around his neck to deepen the kiss._

_Suddenly the kiss ends when the scenery changes. Crystal finds herself in an unknown rocky terrain that is filled with dead trees. She notices that rain pours down heavily from the sky as thunder roars from the far distance. Crystal feels her arms pinned to the rocky wall behind her and looks up to see an angry Zoroark looking down at her._

"_Why, Crystal?" His tone isn't as gentle or kind as Crystal remembers. He sounds bitter, hurt, and betrayed. His eyes tell a whole different story. Such an intense gaze filled with heartbreak, rage, and distrust for some reason makes Crystal feel as if Zoroark has taken her heart out and slashed it into a million pieces. But her pain does not compare to the guilt that she suddenly feels. "How could you do this to me? To us?"_

"_I don't know what you're talking about…" Crystal gasps as she becomes painfully aware of how tight his grip on her arms is. Zoroark is practically squeezing the life out of her. And judging by the crazed look that Zoroark holds on his face, Crystal has a good guess that he is planning to do something that involves taking away her breath._

_Zoroark grabs her cheeks and makes her look up at him. He shakes her as he pleads, "You betrayed me… You made me believe that you actually loved me… Why? I thought… We had something… So real…" Crystal realizes that Zoroark is actually crying. If his voice hasn't confirmed his despair, his look sure does. Crystal's heart twists unpleasantly for seeing this strong being looking so broken, so defeated, so vulnerable…_

"_We do," Crystal pleads. Crystal realizes that she is also crying. She feels a lump growing in her throat and that makes it hard to talk. She is more surprised by what she is saying and grows even more confused when she continues. "I was telling my father that I quit working for him… So I could be with you…" _

_Crystal could not believe what she is saying, but then fear strikes her heart. Zoroark knows of her plans. What will happen now? Suddenly, Crystal notices a shadowy figure coming up behind Zoroark with a horrifyingly long dagger above him. Knowing what is going to happen, Crystal pushes Zoroark away and takes the hit._

_The pain overwhelms Crystal and she could hear both her father and Zoroark screaming… All she sees is a flash of white…_

_And then she is fades…_

_Fades… Into eternal darkness…_

-ooo-

"ZOROARK! NO!" Crystal screams herself awake. She gasps as she snaps her eyes open and sits up abruptly. She feels weight on her lap and looks down to see Zorua holding wide eyes as he gapes up at her. He looks freaked out by her screaming.

"Zorua? What's going on?" Crystal asks cluelessly. Suddenly her hearing adjusts and she turns to see Zoroark squirming and screaming in his sleep. He is sweating profusely and seems to be in pain.

"You tell me!" Zorua jumps off Crystal's lap as he leans over his brother with a look of pure concern. "I wake up hearing you two talking in your sleep. You were going on about something concerning Zoroark until you also started screaming. Then you wake up paler than a ghost! And Zoroark has been saying your name and seems to be in a trauma!"

"…?" Crystal blinks, hardly believing her ears. If she has been talking in her sleep, did Zorua overhear everything she had said…?

"You said other things, but all I heard was 'so I could be with you.' You sounded upset until you started crying out to Zoroark." Zorua says. Then he holds a confused look of his own as he looks down at Zoroark. "Zoroark is speaking your name constantly as if you are in trouble. Then he says something about betrayal and love. Or at least, that was all I heard…"

Crystal pales at this. She says nothing as she stares at Zoroark in confusion and alarm. Is he having the same dream as well…?

Determined to find out if that is the case, Crystal leans over Zoroark's body and places a hand on his cheek. Using her psychic powers, she closes her eyes and forces her mind into Zoroark's subconscious world. As she digs herself into the deepest pits of Zoroark's mind, Crystal allows herself to see Zoroark's dreams and her heart flips when she witnesses what he is seeing.

_Zoroark is pinning a crying Crystal against a wall. Rain pours down heavily on them as he holds Crystal desperately. Crystal could feel the extreme pain from within Zoroark's very soul as he shouts at her dream self. Suddenly Crystal pushes the fox away and a pained cry from her silences everything else. As soon as Zoroark looks back, he feels his heart tear in two at the sight of her blood covering her body. The gory sight makes his attacker scream as well. It is obvious that the killer has intended to attack Zoroark but has instead slain the girl that is slowly dying before him. It is then that Zoroark realizes that Crystal has pushed him away to take the hit. Heartbroken all over again, the fox rushes over to Crystal. Before he could reach her, a sudden ray of light erupts._

Zoroark gasps himself awake as his eyes snap open. He breathes heavily as he looks around his surroundings. The first things he sees are Crystal and Zorua's heads hovering over him. Both Pokémon hold looks of concern and bewilderment. But as soon as he sees Crystal, Zoroark sits up abruptly.

"Crystal!" Zoroark hugs Crystal tightly to him and startles the girl briefly. Shocked out of her mind, Crystal glances at Zorua briefly for help. The small fox shrugs cluelessly as he stares at his brother in plain bewilderment. He looks as if his brother has truly lost his mind and isn't sure of what to do.

Crystal feels Zoroark's body tremble against hers and she has the good sense that he might be crying. She then sends a look to Zorua and the little fox knows all too well on what she means. He nods before he jumps off Zoroark's bed and walks over to the door. Casting a quick look over his shoulder, he gazes at Zoroark in concern once more before leaving the hut. He then makes his way to three certain Pokémons' huts to alert them of what has happened yet again.

Crystal lets out a sigh as she hugs Zoroark gently, giving him all the comfort that he needs. After a few moments, he lets out a few deep breaths and removes himself away from Crystal. She realizes that he isn't crying after all; he looks more distressed than upset.

"I'm sorry," Zoroark apologizes. "I must have awakened you and Zorua. I knew that I should have gotten out on patrol tonight. I knew that this dream would come again!"

Crystal tenses at this statement. "You've had this dream for a while?" She asks uneasily, wondering exactly what he has seen and witnessed.

"It started four days ago, actually," Zoroark holds a thoughtful look. "Well, the voices are the same, but the vision is new. It's never happened before. I guess it gets more detailed every time I go to sleep. The first two nights weren't pleasant, so I had to somehow force myself awake the last two days."

"So that explains what Zorua meant when he said that you were out patrolling and not getting enough sleep," Crystal muses in realization. Zoroark nods grimly.

"Yes," Zoroark then looks at Crystal uneasily. "Did you…?"

"Yes. I saw your dream, Zoroark," Crystal states softly. She then adds quickly, "And if it's any consolation, I just had that same dream, too…"

Zoroark's head perks up at this. "You did?" He whispers.

"Yeah. Every single thing is the same except that it was in… Well… _My_ perspective. From my point of view. I saw the look you had when you yelled at… Well… the dream me. I was crying too. I felt extreme pain when… This thing… Stabbed me… And… That woke me up. It wasn't you who woke me… It was that dream…"

Zoroark's interest peaks as his eyes widen. "Do you think that this could mean something…?" He asks. "We need to ask Midnight and see what she thinks about-"

"That's out of the question," Crystal shakes her head hastily. "We can't get anyone else involved. It's too risky. And besides, I think it's just a strange coincidence. Back from where I come from, having the same dream over and over again isn't very uncommon." She comes up with this lie in the hopes of easing Zoroark's anxiety, but it doesn't work.

"I don't think that it's just mere coincidence," Zoroark shakes his head as he stands up. "It feels so real… It must mean something…"

"Zoroark, please look at me," Crystal pleads desperately. Somehow, her tone makes Zoroark pause his movement and looks at Crystal. As they exchange glances, Crystal gestures for Zoroark to sit back down. He hesitates for a moment but sits, not once averting his eyes from Crystal's gaze.

"I know that this may sound stupid, but do you trust me?" Crystal asks desperately.

Zoroark pauses as he looks deeply at Crystal. Since they have known each other for barely three hours, he has the right to say that he has no reason to trust her just yet. And the dream about them he just had didn't help the matters in any case. But something about the intensity of Crystal's gaze is so appealing and so alluring. Zoroark cannot find himself able to say no to her…

"Yes…" Zoroark manages to say in a hoarse whisper. Crystal smiles briefly as she holds him close to her and hugs him. Not caring about her mission at that moment, all Crystal thinks about is caring for Zoroark and helping him in every way possible. Not even her father could stop this unexplained emotion running through her.

"Then trust me when I say that we need to keep this to ourselves. I'll put up a spell to keep away the dream…"

"Wait, you have this ability and you never told me?" Zoroark breaks the hug and looks at Crystal in slight amusement and slight offense. Crystal shrugs.

"Zorua didn't exactly explain that you weren't sleeping because of your nightmare. I don't even think that he knows that you're purposely trying to avoid sleeping." Crystal shakes her head. "But my point is that as long as we keep this our secret, we don't need to worry about it. I mean, it's not like it's gonna affect our relationship, right?" She forces a laugh out despite that uncertainty roams through her.

Zoroark stares at Crystal, amazed by how determined she is to do things her way. Suddenly a flame begins to grow in his heart as Crystal resumes the hug and rests her head against his furry chest. It feels so strange but so right. The tender and hopeful smile on Crystal's lips is evident enough that it feels right, so it has to be. What more is there to question?

"Very well. We'll keep quiet about this if you want." Zoroark states softly. Crystal smiles wider and snuggles closer to Zoroark. The flame intensifies at her touch.

Without saying a word, Zoroark places a paw around Crystal's waist and uses his other paw to gently tilt her head to make Crystal look at him. Without thinking twice, Zoroark lets his instincts take over and he leans down to capture Crystal's lips with his own. It lasts for only a moment until Zoroark reluctantly pulls away.

Crystal has her eyes closed from the kiss. When she opens her orbs to look up at Zoroark, her cheeks turn a light shade of pink and she smiles slightly. The Pokémon stare at each other after their passionate moment before Crystal clears her throat and stands up abruptly. She gets off the bed and looks uneasily at Zoroark with the blush still on her face.

"S-So what'll we tell the others?" She asks uncertainly. Her voice is noticeably shaky. "I sent Zorua to go grab your friends. I wasn't sure about how to handle your screaming situation. I thought that your friends would know what to do."

"Nah, they only saw me on the first night. They just assumed that I have lost my mind." Zoroark also gets over his blissful moment and stands up. Straightening his fur, he adds, "The second night I was rather more careful. But Zorua probably knows. So let's just say that since you're a powerful psychic, you will develop a charm that will protect our minds while we wear it."

"But what should we use?" Crystal asks. Both Pokémon pause when a thought comes to them and they smile. "The crystal!"

Zoroark reaches into his fur and pulls out the stone. He then hands it to Crystal. Without another moment to waste, Crystal uses her powers and slices the heart in half to create two pieces of the crystal. Then she uses her telepathy to transform the jewels into necklaces.

"Hold on a moment…" Crystal then closes her eyes and concentrates as she holds the pendants up to her face. Then she opens her eyes and hands out one pendant to Zoroark. "Done. The charm is effective and it will protect your mind from other telepaths."

Zoroark blinks. "Wow, that was quick." He takes his pendant with a smile. As Crystal puts her amulet on, she blushes at the look Zoroark gives her. The room goes quiet as they simply stare at one another in the darkness. Unbeknownst to them, they step closer and closer to each other, their faces merely inches apart…

"What the hell is going on in here?" Cotton's voice shatters the moment.

Crystal and Zoroark groan as they turn their heads to see that their friends have arrived with Zorua. Cotton has what looks like a sleeping hat on her head while Logan holds a stuffed animal with one arm. Midnight wears no accessory as she walks in. Each one of the heroes holds a tired and concerned look as they enter the hut. As soon as they see how close Crystal and Zoroark are, the Pokémon raise their brows.

Knowing that they have a lot of explaining to do, Crystal and Zoroark glance at each other before smiling. They face the Pokémon. "Let me explain what has happened…" Crystal begins telling their cover story.

As Crystal explains what has supposedly happened, deep in her and Zoroark's hearts, they discover what they are feeling for each other.

Zoroark knows that what he is feeling is forbidden according to the Gods' laws. But does he care? Hell no. Not in the very least. He cannot help himself.

Crystal knows that what she is feeling is equally as forbidden considering that it would stand in her way to achieve her father's goal. But does she care? Hell no. Not in the very least. She cannot help herself.

Their feelings for each other are as pure as they are forbidden. Both Pokémon are not sure that if it would get them closer in the future, but they secretly hope that it would.

They secretly smile when they discover the greatest feeling that they would ever experience once in their lifetimes. They are in love…

-ooo-

Right after Crystal has come up with the excuse that Darkstar is trying to terrorize Zoroark and her through their dreams, she decides to create more amulets for all the Pokémon in the army to have. Despite that the story is a lie, she needs some sort of an excuse in case her father actually does have it happen. At least it has gotten Zoroark's closest friends off her and Zoroark's backs about the nightmares.

And true to Crystal's word, the nightmares stop happening. Crystal and Zoroark sleep peacefully at night and they have not awoken screaming their heads off. They make sure to wear their amulets every day at every moment. Of course, the other soldiers would question about the pendants and Zoroark would explain that it is for mind protection purposes. Then several Pokémon sneer on why Crystal shouldn't make enough for the entire army to have before they return to their business. Of course, Zoroark is furious and mortified by his men's behavior while Crystal takes no offense but is more pensive about the idea. She then goes to Zekrom and Reshiram and asks them about making enough pendants for everyone (with the Gods stating that they apologize for the men's behavior as well). The Gods take the idea into consideration before they find no harm in her making the pendants and agree to let her do so. Every night after training, Crystal would call upon all the affinities from the candles and create at least 5,000 pendants per night. Then Zoroark and his friends would trade them with impressed soldiers. But because the affinity use drains Crystal's energy, she slowly grows tired because of creating so many necklaces.

But no matter how tired or put down she is, Crystal refuses to give up on herself. During training, she would show an outstanding job on her fighting skills and copes with speaking formally to other Pokémon. She has already grown bonds with some of the soldiers and some Legendaries such as Arceus, Blackfire, Zarko, and even the stubborn Giratina. But some of the Pokémon still view Crystal as a threat so she is still adjusting to their behavior. Otherwise, her relationships are improving efficiently. Even she and Cotton seem to get along much better as the weeks pass by.

Training Crystal is a lot easier than expected. Just as Zoroark has hoped, she is a quick and hard thinker when on her feet. In no time, Crystal learns the Pokémon writing under one week and knows how to speak fluently within one month. Her fighting skills are no problem, but she seems to have an edge for her methods in fighting. She seems more on the attacking range than being defensive or resourceful. Because of this, Zoroark has to patiently show Crystal how to not grow too confident when in battle and to let herself go as she fights. He explains that it is not about winning a battle; it is about knowing how to stand up for yourself. Fighting is never the answer; if anything, it will just make a situation worse.

At first, Crystal refuses to believe all this junk. But the more time she spends with other Pokémon, the more she realizes that this belief is true. She has to take in all the teasing and cruel commentary that the soldiers would usually send her, and Crystal would either sarcastically retort back or use her powers on the Pokémon (much to Zoroark's displeasure). But the less violent she is, the more she realizes that the Pokémon that irk her seem to calm down. If she doesn't respond, then the Pokémon realize that there is no point to bother her and just leave her in peace. And before she even knows it, she starts to grow admirers. Several soldiers have apologized to her for their behaviors and asked to start over. Crystal easily accepts their apologies and soon she grows more friends than she grows enemies.

As the three months pass, Crystal's reputation as an outcast quickly changes into one as a respected idol. Her training with other Pokémon excels all except the Legendaries and this is an impressive quality. Her kindness and fairness are admired by all the Pokémon. Should anyone seem in trouble, Crystal is always there for him or her to sort out the problem. She even forms bonds with several of the children and teaches the young ones the importance to respect their elders and of the values of life. As the time goes by, everyone has noticed that Crystal seems less mysterious and more open to her true self.

Crystal herself knows how close she is being with her enemies. Despite that her mission is to merely befriend everyone, she cannot help but love her new friends regardless of her loyalty to her father. She is torn between doing the right thing and fulfilling what she has been created to do.

But one thing that she knows is that whatever she chooses will affect her life forever.

During the first three months, Zoroark and Crystal have gotten closer than ever. Whether it is because of their unintentional kiss, they have no idea. But they have never spoken about it as they have been too busy with other things. But Zoroark definitely seems more intimate to Crystal as they train, as he would stand too close in her personal space. He would pull away when Crystal gives him a look that shows that he is too close. But she isn't nervous because of the closeness; she honestly likes it, but she wonders if it will ruin their relationship in every way.

If Zoroark knows of how she truly feels about him, then they would never see each other the same way again.

In truth, Crystal has been worrying about this situation right after the kiss. She has admired Zoroark for many reasons personally. He is kind and fair to his men regardless of how he would sometimes be treated. He is as strong as he is wise, and Crystal has no doubt that several soldiers would come to him for help. And the more they get to know each other as friends when they finish training, the more Crystal realizes that she and Zoroark have a lot in common. They both feel responsible for those that they love, they refuse to give up hope, and they believe that everything has been born for a purpose.

But Crystal fears that if Zoroark knows of her true intentions, then he would hate her forever. And besides, he is a teacher while she is a student; it will never work out. He probably sees her as a good friend and nothing more (regardless of the kiss).

But she has no idea about how far she is from the reality. Zoroark himself also has his own thoughts regarding Crystal. As the months grow by, he grows more infatuated with the Grovyle. He admires the girl's strength and determination to prove her worthiness to everyone. Regardless of how easily tired she gets because of making pendants or overtraining herself, Crystal refuses to give up. She has even forced herself to remain calm regardless of uncomfortable situations thrown at her. Crystal wouldn't stop even if he asks her to rest; she's just as stubborn as he is sometimes.

But during the next three months, he grows even more impressed by how much progress Crystal has made. She is now admired by all of the soldiers (for the most part). She shares her views about how life works and how people should respect to use their days to the best. She has the belief that life is a gift and that it should not be taken for granted. Zoroark himself agrees with this belief. Crystal is kind, fair, brilliant, fun, and absolutely beautiful to Zoroark. These qualities are merely but a few traits why he is so deeply in love with Crystal. Even far after their shared kiss, Zoroark has the belief that she is the one for him. He hopes that in the future he will admit his feelings to Crystal after she is permitted to his army.

He knows that she will be accepted because of her fantastic reports.

And true to his beliefs, Crystal is easily accepted to the army. Reshiram and Zekrom have checked over Zoroark's reports and other soldiers as witnesses. Despite that they both know all that has happened (since they have watched from wherever they stay at), the Gods merely wish to hear the soldiers speak out their opinions about Crystal. The Gods have even cast a vote for favors of granting Crystal into the army. To Zoroark's relief and Crystal's surprise, practically over three quarters of the Pokémon wish for Crystal to stay. Deciding that it is settled, Reshiram and Zekrom welcome Crystal into their army and declare that she is now one of the top generals.

After the Gods leave, Zoroark and his friends hug Crystal and welcome her as family. Even Cotton gives Crystal a hug out of pure joy. The Lopunny and Grovyle respect each other as rival sisters but they definitely trust each other. Logan constantly teases Crystal in a good manner and obviously flirts with her (much to Zoroark's displeasure). Crystal would always politely laugh or joke around with him. She definitely sees him as a brother somewhat. Midnight and Zorua respect Crystal and view her as a sister. Crystal always goes to the Absol and fox for advice or has fun talking with them about random topics.

The morning after Crystal's admittance, Zoroark decides that the time has come for him to admit his feelings to Crystal. How he is going to approach her is the question, though. He is so nervous about how she will respond to his statement. It's not like he is going to go up to Crystal, shout 'I love you!', and expect her to take it seriously. No, the situation needs to be handled with care and Zoroark wants to treasure the memory of his confession forever…

But how… How?

"Zo? You doing OK?"

"Huh?" Zoroark blinks as he looks down at his little brother. They are in their hut eating breakfast on the table. Crystal has gone to Midnight's hut to grab some more affinity candles so she can use them to create more pendants tonight. That leaves the siblings alone in their house.

Shaking his head out of his thoughts, Zoroark says, "I'm fine. Why do you ask, Zorua?" He holds a curious look.

Zorua smiles as he hops on top of the table and faces his brother. He purposely stands over his brother's food to stare directly at his eyes. Zoroark's brows furrow as he looks at his brother in confusion. "Zorua? What are you doing?" He asks uncertainly.

"I know that you're thinking about something, Zoroark," Zorua's smile widens at each word. Such a look from the small fox looks adorable and funny. "It's about Crystal, isn't it?"

Zoroark freezes as soon as he remembers that his brother could read all of his thoughts and feelings. Since Zorua's creation, the foxes have had a connection to each other that would tell each fox about their sibling's feelings and thoughts at all times. Zoroark realizes that his brother must know about his secret feelings for a certain Grovyle and tries to deny it. "W-What do you mean…?" Zoroark turns away from his brother as a slight blush spreads through his cheeks.

"Don't act dumb, Zoroark," Zorua laughs at his brother's reaction. "I know about your feelings for a certain girl that we both have gotten to know very well. And if you're thoughts and feelings don't confirm it, the looks that I see you give Crystal sure do. But I only have one question," Zorua holds a thoughtful look as he leans in closely to his brother's face.

"Why don't you just tell her?"

Zoroark then looks at his brother as if he is crazy. Before he could respond, Zorua sighs and shakes his head. "I know, I know. You're afraid of how she'll respond. But it's not like she'll slap you for saying it, right?"

Zoroark only gives his brother a stern look and crosses his arms. How does that help?

Zorua sighs again as he jumps off the table and lands onto the ground. He turns around to face his brother with a serious look in his blue orbs. "Look, my point is that you should tell Crystal. She deserves to know. And you know as much as I do that she will never do anything to hurt you. She'll either accept it and love you back or decline very gently. Yes, it'll hurt but you'll still be friends if you're _willing_ to accept her friendship. But how will you know of her reaction unless you're willing to try it?"

Zoroark opens his mouth and then closes it after realizing that his younger brother is right. Then he holds an uncertain look as another thought comes into his mind. "But how do I tell her? It's not like I can go up to Crystal, shout 'I love you!', and expect her to take it seriously." He points out.

Zorua puts a paw over his chin as he thinks. Then his eyes glisten as he snaps his tiny fingers. He smiles widely up at his brother. "Remember that meadow that you and I found not too long ago that has all those lilies?"

Zoroark raises a brow at this random question but nods. He is curious as to what his brother is hinting at.

"That garden glows during the summer time and tonight it's supposed to be looking really great. It'll add to the romantic mood, per say. And since Crystal really likes lilies, why don't you take her over there? Start some sort of conversation that'll ease you two and then admit that you like Crystal."

"That'll work," Zoroark nods as he thinks it over. It sounds like a good plan. "Yeah… That's sounds really good. Tonight I'll take her out of training early and we'll start heading over to the garden…" Zoroark then pauses as he looks at Zorua uncertainly. "Um… Zorua, you haven't said anything about this to the others, have you…?"

"Of course not," Zorua scoffs as he sticks his nose up. "What kind of person am I that would do that to his own brother? And besides, who knows what Cotton would say to the soldiers if I had told her…"

A slightly horrified grimace crosses Zoroark's lips as various unpleasant ideas come into his mind. "Yeah, that's true…" He then gets up off his seat and kneels down to look at his brother closely. He says, "So when I take Crystal out tonight…"

"Don't ask, don't tell?" Zorua smiles up at his brother.

Zoroark lets a large smile come to his lips as he reaches out to his brother. He stands up and hugs his brother tightly as he ruffles the small fox's hair playfully. "You're the best kid brother in the world. What would I ever do without you?" He asks.

"Sit in an emo corner and wonder about what your purpose for life is," Zorua states blankly. Then he lets out a large laugh as he hugs his brother back. "Just believe in yourself, Bro. And good luck tonight…"

-ooo-

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see…"

Two figures walk through the foliage together in the darkness. The slightly taller being holds the smaller being's hand as he leads her though the secret trail in the forest. Right after training, Zoroark has asked Crystal to go for a walk with him alone deep in the woods. He has said that he has a surprise to show Crystal. At first confused and suspicious, Crystal agrees to go with him. The last thing Zoroark sees is his brother sending him a knowing wink and his other friends holding suspicious looks while he leads Crystal out of their training area.

The two heroes are quiet as Zoroark continues walking. He crosses over small creeks and makes sure that Crystal is safe when he helps her move over the creeks. He does not let go of her hand as he continues leading the way.

"Zoroark, why can't you just tell me what this is all about?" Crystal forces a laugh as Zoroark pulls her along. She cannot read the telepath's thoughts since he seems to be blocking his mind with utmost protection. This only perks Crystal's interest even more on what Zoroark has planned for them.

"You'll see. It's a surprise…" Zoroark responds as he smiles at Crystal over his shoulder.

Crystal returns the smile even though it is a fake one. Ever since last night, she has gotten a telepathic call from her father. He has wished to talk with her privately deep within the forbidden zone of the forest. Because Crystal is now deemed as trustworthy by other Pokémon, she is allowed to scout around the valley with no questions asked. She has made sure that no one was following her when she encounters Darkstar. Needless to say, her father seems completely thrilled about knowing that Crystal is now one of the people. To the dark exile, this opens a world of opportunities for completing his world domination. He then jokes about how foolish the heroes are to take in their enemy's daughter and how they will not know what will hit them until the time comes.

And even though Crystal merely nods and agrees with her father, she feels her heart tug in anticipation. Her mind keeps thinking over one question: is this what she really wants? And when Darkstar comments about how he has witnessed his daughter's kiss with Zoroark, he seems amused and sarcastic about it. Crystal, despite that she was blushing heavily at the time, has stated that it is merely a reaction at the time and that it means nothing to her. She said that it is merely just a way to earn Zoroark's respect and trust. Darkstar seems thoughtful and impressed by Crystal's manipulation but then he accepts the excuse and jokes about why Crystal keeps her mind protected even at the presence of her father. Crystal forces a smile back when in reality she is thinking hard. Her insides were tearing when she told the lie to her father and she feels absolutely terrible of talking about Zoroark as if he is merely an object. She loves him too much to do such a thing but she needs to keep herself covered to avoid her father's suspicion.

Then Darkstar has stated that the next time he calls his daughter, they will talk about the plans to invade the valley. Crystal hides her horror and merely nods in agreement as she watches her father's shadowy figure disappear. As she returns home, she could not believe that everything she loves is soon coming to an end. But hopefully for her and everyone else's sake, her father won't plan to call Crystal again for some time within the next few months. Crystal seemingly appears tired when she arrives at her hut and goes to sleep without another word to Zoroark and Zorua.

And during training today, Crystal doesn't speak much to her friends. This concerns mainly Zoroark and Cotton. Usually, Crystal would always respond to everyone with interesting topics. The heroes realized that the more someone speaks to Crystal, the shorter her answers are. Maybe Zoroark can talk about what has been bothering Crystal today before he confesses his feelings for her.

Soon a bright glowing light shines before Zoroark and Crystal's eyes. As Zoroark leads Crystal closer to the source, he smiles when he hears her gasp in awe and wonder. Before them is a large meadow surrounded by trees. In the meadow, various shapes of white lilies glow different neon colors of purple, green, and blue. And as the two Pokémon walk through the grass towards the lilies, the ground glows brightly at wherever they step on.

"W-What is this…?" Crystal lets go of Zoroark's paw as she looks around the meadow in fascination. Zoroark smiles as he watches Crystal's expression.

"Crystal, I know that you like lilies a lot…" Zoroark explains as he rubs the back of his neck shyly. Crystal looks at him. "And… Zorua and I have discovered that these lilies glow during the summer. So I thought that you'd want a chance to look at them…"

Crystal smiles as tears begin to brim her eyes. Zoroark is so good to her; she could hardly believe that his kindness is even real. Oh, how she wishes to be with him romantically. Crystal then frowns when she remembers her father's words from the night before.

"Crystal? What's wrong?" Zoroark sees Crystal's suddenly sad expression and grows concerned. He reaches out a paw to her but Crystal turns away as she suddenly kneels down before a batch of large lilies sticking out of a bush. She fingers a glowing purple lily with a frown on her face. How could she ever explain herself to Zoroark? He will never believe her and he will never love her because of the ugly truth.

"Crystal?" Zoroark looks over at Crystal's face and holds her shoulder gently. He kneels down beside Crystal as he watches the tears starting to slide down her cheeks. Incredibly alarmed, Zoroark holds Crystal by her upper arms and makes her look at him. "Crys, what's wrong? I've never seen you cry. Did something happen to you last night? Please tell me. I'm your friend; you can trust me," Zoroark practically pleads.

Crystal looks up at Zoroark's desperate eyes and makes her decision at that instant. "Zoroark, last night when I was out on patrol… I met my father in the forbidden parts of the forest."

Zoroark blinks at this. Genuine surprise crosses his expression as he loosens his grip on Crystal's arms. His surprise then turns into confusion. "Well… That's good, isn't it? You haven't seen your family for who knows how long. That ship you were on must have been taking you to your father's home. It's no surprise that he must have come looking for you." Zoroark becomes more thoughtful as another idea comes to him. "Is he still around here somewhere? I could possibly talk to Reshiram and Zekrom and ask them to grant your father entrance to the valley. I'm sure he's just like you. I'd really like to meet him and-"

"Zoroark, you don't understand anything," Crystal moans as she stands up and turns away from the bewildered fox. Zoroark also stands up and faces Crystal, but he doesn't come too close to her. He watches Crystal hold herself uncomfortably as she keeps her back facing him. After taking a few breaths, Crystal turns to face Zoroark and approaches him carefully. Stopping just an inch away from him, Crystal looks deeply at his eyes and says, "Zoroark, I… I have a confession to make…"

Crystal gulps as she prepares to explain herself to Zoroark. Then suddenly fear overwhelms her and she finds herself lying once again. "There is a reason that I have been on that ship. I wasn't going to anywhere in particular… I was a stowaway on that ship… I was fleeing from my father…"

Zoroark blinks again. He looks even more confused than before. "Why…?"

Then another thought comes to Crystal and the weight of confessing to Zoroark briefly falls from her shoulders as she says it. But what Crystal says makes Zoroark feel as if she has taken out his heart and crushed it in her hand. "My father was forcing me to get married to his most trusted advisor."

Zoroark's face falls as he stumbles back. He hasn't been expecting that response. "W-What…?" He whispers.

"My father has found me when I was out on patrol," Crystal continues, obviously unaware of the pain that Zoroark is feeling. "He has said that I am to come home at once to begin my life with my new husband starting tomorrow morning."

"S-So you're leaving…?" Zoroark almost whimpers as he turns away to hide his pain. Tears brim his eyes as he closes them and holds a paw over his aching heart. Of course, if Crystal decides to leave, Zoroark will have to help her pack up all of her belongings. But his heart would break. He couldn't let Crystal leave. She can't, not after everything that they have done together.

"Of course not," Crystal smiles as she shakes her head. Zoroark turns to look at Crystal with hope and surprise clearly evident in his expression. "I have told him that this valley is my home now and that I have been accepted into the army…" Crystal pauses as she wonders if she should tell Zoroark about her feelings for him. But the moment she sees his blue eyes glowing in anticipation, Crystal makes her decision. "And I have declined his order to marry someone that I do not love with great purpose…"

"H-How…? What if this man will be good for you? Why did you say no…?" Zoroark forces himself to ask this question. Despite that it pains him to ask such a thing, he is genuinely curious as to why Crystal would choose her new life over her old life. How has she persuaded her father to let her stay?

"I have told Father that the reason I will not leave this land or marry is because my heart already belongs to another man…" Crystal responds softly as she looks at Zoroark. She folds her arms over her chest as a smile grows on her lips. "I have already chosen a possible mate…"

Crystal walks up to Zoroark and stops right in front of him. Her smile does not waver as she looks up at Zoroark. "And… If there is any chance that the man that holds my heart could possibly feel the same way for me, then I will not ruin our chance of happiness. But he must also choose me…"

Zoroark stares at Crystal with wide eyes as he looks down at her. Pure joy and ecstasy grows in him as he smiles widely at Crystal. His smile softens as he speaks to the Grovyle that he loves with every inch of his soul. "He already has…" he responds softly.

Crystal smiles as a slight blush grows on her cheeks.

Without another word, Zoroark brings up his paw and holds Crystal's cheek. Slowly, he leans down and the lovers close their eyes as they exchange a soft kiss. They exhale through their noses and moan against each other's lips. Overwhelmed by the passion, the lovers deepen their kiss. Soon their touches grow more intimate as they hold each other almost desperately.

Their hearts melt as they kneel down and let the lilies glow around them. Crystal could have sworn that she has seen the stars soar high above the skies as she and Zoroark continue kissing each other passionately. They shudder and moan against each other as their inner desires begin to cloud their vision.

As they continue kissing under the moonlit sky, Crystal and Zoroark feel pure love and joy after knowing that nothing, not even the great Gods of the universe, will ever keep them apart.

-ooo-

Two weeks pass by and everyone knows that Zoroark and Crystal are a pair. Needless to say, several soldiers are exaggeratingly happy for the heroes while some Pokémon are against the news. But not Zoroark's friends; Cotton and Logan have even made bets with each other that either Zoroark or Crystal will confess their feelings to each other. It turns out that Cotton has won; she has bet that Crystal will admit her feelings to Zoroark first. It seems that Zoroark's friends have already been aware of what has been going on between Zoroark and Crystal and they easily accept the two heroes together. Zorua is especially happy at seeing his brother in love and he adores Crystal as if she is his older sister.

Crystal and Zoroark have long forgotten about their nightmares. They haven't given the dreams much thought after Crystal has created an amulet to keep the nightmares from invading the heroes' sleep.

But today, Zoroark has made an important decision that will affect his and Crystal's lives. He is going to ask his love to be his mate. He knows of the risks that will come along with his decision, but he does not care. As long as Crystal is with him, then he is happy with his life. His friends have convinced him to go for it. They love Crystal as family and they know that she will not hurt Zoroark in any way. Filled with confidence, Zoroark waits patiently for Crystal to come home so he will ask her the big question. He has asked his friends and brother to go out to do something so he and Crystal will be alone. His friends wish him luck and do as he asks.

But Crystal hasn't come home at all tonight. It is getting rather late at the hour of eleven and this worries Zoroark. Crystal would usually be home at around eight or nine. Deciding that she must be caught up with something, Zoroark decides to go out to find her. He doesn't alert anyone about his concern and wishes to go alone. He fails to notice that a certain small fox follows him after sensing his discomfort and concern for Crystal.

Zoroark notices that it is raining heavily and thunder roars through the skies. Not faltering from the strangely familiar setting, Zoroark continues onwards. His concern for his love is greater than his fear of natural disasters. He roams through the forest and uses his telepathic eye to sense any sort of living beings. To his disappointment, he finds none. Zoroark rechecks every area three times until two voices make him stop.

"_**Crystalline, what is the meaning of this? I am gone for two weeks and I find out that you are acting like a slut!"**_

"Father! It is not like that at all!"

Zoroark screeches into a halt as soon as he hears the voices. Realizing that one of them belongs to Crystal, Zoroark uses his hearing senses to follow her voice. He knows that he is getting closer the louder the voices are. He comes across a clearing that shows a rocky wall with barely any open space. But soon Zoroark sees Crystal's distressed form and starts to move towards her. But he realizes that she is not alone and his heart stops when he sees who is facing Crystal.

Darkstar.

The monster that is his enemy is standing before Crystal like a displeased master that has just been disobeyed by his most loyal soldier. His red eyes glow brightly as he bears his fangs and snarls down at the timid Grovyle.

"_**What's not like it? I find out through rumors spread by other Pokémon that you are in a relationship with the general! I told you to build a friendship with the fox, not to create a love affair! I should have expected for something like this to happen…" **_Darkstar looks very aggravated as he looks at anywhere but at Crystal.

"Father, it is not my fault! But I love Zoroark! I really do! And that is why I have come to you to tell you that I quit!" Crystal snaps.

"_**What do you mean?"**_ Darkstar raises a brow challengingly at Crystal.

"Tricking Reshiram and Zekrom's army into believing that I am their friend is bad enough, but I will not lie to my friends anymore! All my life you have trained me at my best potential so I could slide into their perimeters to learn of their weaknesses! You didn't care of how it would do to me! All you care about is fulfilling your goal of world domination! But Zoroark showed me that what I did is wrong! I'm going to change that starting now! As of tonight, I am no longer your daughter or spy; I am my own person that makes choices for herself!"

Zoroark's mind goes blank as he discovers her true intentions. He could see and hear nothing since all he feels is his heart shattering into a million pieces. Crystal has tricked him all this time and he trusted her! She has lied to him about everything.

It was just too horrible to bear. Zoroark knew that there was more to Crystal's background story than just her merely washing ashore at the beach; Darkstar doesn't go around shooting random ships for the sheer joy of it. Crystal and Darkstar must have planned a fraud attack so Zoroark could take Crystal in out of the kindness of his heart. The fox realizes how badly his kindness is being used against him and he is angry about it.

He is angry, heartbroken, and betrayed. Upset that Crystal has used him. Upset that he has let himself fall for Darkstar's trap so easily. And he is angry that they have gotten this far into their plan.

Well, he's just going to have to stop the plan before it goes too far, won't he?

With a furious cry, Zoroark charges at Darkstar with blinding speed. The shadowy being and Crystal turn to look at Zoroark in surprise. Before the exile could move out of the way, Zoroark punches him crudely on the face with intensity that leaves Darkstar unconscious for a brief moment. Glaring at the demon for a moment, Zoroark then turns to face Crystal.

Crystal flinches as soon as she sees the red in Zoroark's eyes. Zoroark pants heavily as he slowly advances towards her. Fear strikes Crystal as she starts to back away. "Z-Zoroark! How much have you heard?" She asks nervously.

"Enough to realize that you have been using me this whole time!" Zoroark snarls as he speeds up his pace. Crystal's back comes in contact against the wall as Zoroark hovers over her ominously. Crystal shakes in fear and guilt as Zoroark grabs her arms and pins her harshly onto the rocky surface.

His face turns from rage into one of pure despair and confusion. "Why, Crystal?" He asks hoarsely as he trembles. Tears begin to fall down his cheeks freely as he looks desperately at Crystal. "How could you lie to me like this? I thought that you loved me… I honestly thought that you…"

"Zoroark, please…" Crystal pleads as she struggles under the fox's strong grip. "I have come to my father to tell him that I quit working for him… So I could be with you…" Crystal suddenly feels déjà vu for saying this, but she ignores it as she looks at her lover's heartbroken and angry look.

"I trusted you…" Zoroark moans in despair as his grip loosens on Crystal.

"With you…" Crystal repeats herself as she tries to earn Zoroark's attention but the fox is long gone in his despair.

"I trusted you!" Zoroark's voice becomes loud and he moves away from Crystal when she tries to reach out to him.

"Trust me now, please-" Crystal begins but then Zoroark lets out a loud roar as he glares at her.

"TRAITOR!" Zoroark snarls as he glares at Crystal in hatred. "YOU HAVE BROKEN OUR VOW OF EVERLASTING TRUST! YOU HAVE USED ME TO TRY TO DESTROY MY PEOPLE! YOU ARE NOT ONE OF US! YOU WILL NEVER BE ONE OF US! I HAVE COME OUT HERE TO FIND YOU TO ASK YOU IF YOU WOULD BE MY MATE AND THIS IS THE FIRST THING I HEAR FROM YOU! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DEVASTATINGLY ANGRY AND BETRAYED I FEEL? OF COURSE NOT; YOU'RE TOO CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT YOUR FATHER HAS ORDERED YOU TO DO! IT IS OBVIOUS THAT HE MEANS MORE TO YOU THAN I DO! I HATE YOU, CRYSTALLINE! I HATE YOU FOR YOUR SELFISHNESS AND DECEPTION! I HATE YOU FOR DOING THIS TO ME! I HATE YOU FOR WHAT YOU ARE! YOU'RE A MONSTER!"

"Zoroark… Please don't say that if you don't really mean it…" Crystal says weakly. Tears fall down her cheeks as her lower lip quivers. She looks so fragile, so weak, so vulnerable. But Zoroark doesn't hear her.

"YOU'RE NOTHING TO ME NOW! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"Saying all these cruel words makes Zoroark feel better but he feels so guilty for saying them to Crystal. But why should he care? Crystal has hurt him like no one else has ever hurt him before.

"Zoroark…" Crystal whimpers as she looks at Zoroark in defeat and despair. She looks just as heartbroken as he does. "If that is how you truly think of me to be, then read my mind. Read my mind… And find out about the truth yourself…"

Zoroark clears his eyes and narrows them at Crystal threateningly. He could sense that she is lowering her mind shield so he could read her thoughts. But why should he? This might be another trick to lure him in. But what more pain could he be in when he is about to do his people the honor of finishing off Darkstar and Crystal?

Huffing, Zoroark crosses his arms and agrees to at least oblige to Crystal's last request before he finishes her off. Roughly pinning Crystal against the wall, Zoroark places one paw on her forehead and forces himself into her mind. Such a powerful psychic force makes Crystal scream in pain but Zoroark ignores her as he looks at every single memory in her memory banks.

And the more he watches on what happens, the quicker his anger calms. He witnesses Crystal's creation from day one and how she and Darkstar have planned to outsmart Zoroark and his army. He witnesses Crystal's second thoughts about Zoroark the moment they have met on the beach. He sees Crystal's pain of having to deal with lying to Zoroark and everyone that she has grown to love. It is then that Zoroark realizes that Darkstar has never given Crystal the love that everyone needs to live with. If anything, Zoroark and his friends have given Crystal the love and friendship that she has craved for. For the past several months, Crystal has discovered more purposes to life other than carrying out orders. And then Zoroark realizes how guilty and upset she really is with herself for putting everyone though her deception.

She is truly sorry for all the trouble that she has created.

Zoroark lets go of Crystal and looks down at her. The Grovyle sobs loudly as she holds herself and Zoroark suddenly realizes how harsh he has been to her. "Crys…" He murmurs.

Crystal shakes her head as she turns away and kneels down. She continues crying regardless of Zoroark's attempts to apologize for his harshness. As she continues crying in her hands, Zoroark realizes that her head is bleeding from a bruised cut that he has inflicted on her. Horrified, he realizes what he has done to her.

Crystal truly loves him and she has been willing to try to fix everything. And all Zoroark has done is hurt her. He has _hurt _her.

Eyes widening in horror and pure guilt, Zoroark kneels down to Crystal. "Crystalline…" He whispers as he brushes his paw over her arm. Such a gentle touch makes Crystal glance at the fox briefly. Zoroark sees the tears and his heart breaks when he sees Crystal's broken look. "I'm so…"

He never finishes that sentence when Crystal looks over his shoulder. Her face expresses horror as she cries out, "Look out!" Crystal then pushes Zoroark with enough force to make him land several feet away. Zoroark crashes against the ground and hears Crystal's scream of pain.

Turning around, what Zoroark sees makes his heart crumble.

Crystal has a deep wound on her chest. Crystal gurgles as she tries to breathe, but all she could do is turn her head to the side to give Zoroark a weak smile.

"_**NO!"**_ Darkstar cries out as he backs away and drops his dagger in shock and disbelief. It is then when Zoroark realizes that Darkstar has gotten up and planned to kill him at the last minute. But Crystal has pushed Zoroark out of the way to take the strike.

Zoroark stands up with an unexpected rage that he has never felt before. Not even when he thought that Crystal has betrayed him. With a loud roar of fury, Zoroark uses his psychic powers to knock out Darkstar for a long time. But instead of the usual Aura Sphere, a white blast shoots out of his palms and hits Darkstar right on the chest.

Darkstar screams upon the impact and struggles as his dark body begins to fade away. His body seems to disintegrate as his screams echo in the heavy rainfall. Soon Darkstar is no more when he disappears into nothingness.

As soon as Zoroark hears the echoes disappear, he runs straight to Crystal. Zoroark cradles her on his lap as tears run freely down his furry cheeks. "Why…?" He asks.

Crystal takes a gasping breath as she smiles faintly up at Zoroark. The blood flowing from her large wound does not cease its flow. "I… L-Love you… Zo…"

"Crys, I'm so sorry for what I have said to you," Zoroark holds Crystal tightly to him as he sobs. "I have been so cruel to you. I understand what you had to do and I have hurt you. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" He rocks the girl gently against him. His voice grows hoarse as he watches the life flow from the woman that he loves. Because of his rash actions, he is now losing the most precious thing to him in his life. It's all his fault…

Crystal smiles again as she shakes her head weakly. "D-Don't be s-sorry…" She reaches up to place a hand on Zoroark's cheek. The fox grips her hand with his paw tightly. "T-There's nothing to… To forgive…"

Zoroark smiles weakly despite that it is made out of sorrow rather than happiness. Crystal is so forgiving, so kind. Zoroark's heart breaks even more when he realizes that Crystal's energy is draining quickly.

"I-If any…Thing…" Crystal wheezes for air before she looks up at Zoroark's tearful face. "Could… Could you… Ever forgive… M-Me? For all that… I have… D-Done?"

"Crystal, I have seen your memories and witnessed what you have felt, seen, and heard." Zoroark says gently as he squeezes Crystal's hand and kisses her palm. "I know that you are truly sorry. I also know that you truly love me. I forgive you."

Crystal lets a tear fall down her cheek. Her heart leaps in pure joy but Crystal winces sharply when she finds it very hard to continue breathing. "Z-Zo…" She murmurs weakly. "It's time…"

"Don't say that!" Zoroark holds Crystal close to his chest as he shakes his head. "Don't you dare say that! You're gonna be OK! I'll take you back to my hut and Midnight can heal you up in no time! Just don't give up on me, OK…?"

Crystal shakes her head as she caresses Zoroark's cheek. "N-No… Not t-this time…"

"Damn it, Crystal! Stop talking about dying! Don't you give up on me!" Zoroark holds an angry look as he glares down at Crystal. His harsh voice makes Crystal flinch. Zoroark's eyes soften as he cradles Crystal gently. "Please… Please keep fighting… Stay strong like I know you are. Please, Crystal. I love you." He whispers pleadingly.

Crystal's smile is sweet as she takes in one more shuddery breath. "Y-You will remember… Don't be s-sad… It's n-not a… True g-goodbye… You'll s-see…" Crystal's breathing grows faint as she tries to say her last words to her love. Her smile never falters. "Z-Zoroark… Remember us… I l-love… You…" Her whisper trails off as her last breath escapes from her lips. Her grip on Zoroark's cheek slips as she closes her eyes.

Feeling her body go still, Zoroark shakes his head as he holds Crystal close to him. "Crystal? Crystal, please open your eyes. Please, please don't leave me." Zoroark begs as he rocks Crystal back and forth. Tears fall freely from his eyes down onto Crystal's body. "Please, Crystal… Please…"

He keeps rocking Crystal even when it finally hits him that she is gone. Her blood stains his fur but he does not care. He cries out his sorrow for the whole world to hear. His howl of anguish echoes through the valley as he feels his mind go blank. Zoroark holds Crystal as he lowers her down to the ground and lies next to her.

He caresses Crystal's cheek and leans in to kiss her cold lips. Suddenly feeling very weak, Zoroark rests his head on Crystal's bleeding chest and faints. His mind goes blank when darkness consumes him.

-ooo-

"What in the bloopin' name was that?" Logan runs out of his hut and joins his friends standing in the meadow near their leader's hut. A loud scream echoes through the trees and alerts everyone awake. The soldiers don't care about how heavy it is raining; they care more about where the source of the cry is coming from.

"I have no idea…" Cotton looks up warily at the sky as she tries to figure out the source of the wail.

"I fear that something tragic has happened…" Midnight says quietly. "That's the same cry that my father has made when he lost my mother years ago…"

Cotton frowns. "But what does -"

"OH, GREAT ALPHA AND OMEGA, HELP US!"

The three leaders blink and turn to the source of the yell. They see a young Charmeleon pointing at something. The heroes turn to see what he is pointing at and what they see make their hearts stop.

Zorua and four Luxray are passing through panicked soldiers to the meadow. The large four-legged Pokémon are holding an unconscious Zoroark and a bleeding Crystal on their backs. But on closer inspection, everyone could see that both Pokémon are dead. Zorua has bloodshot eyes as he walks beside the Luxray; he looks like he has been crying.

The three heroes could see blood stained on Zoroark's fur, but the fox doesn't have any wounds. Crystal, however, has a large hole on her chest and a cut on her forehead. Such a gruesome sight makes Cotton scream as she covers her mouth.

"Oh, no…" Logan whispers as his eyes widen. He and the girls stay at their spots as the Luxray come up to them and carefully place the dead Pokémon onto the grass. Several soldiers scream, cry, or whisper to each other about this tragic event.

"It can't be… Not Zoroark…" Logan moans as he kneels down to the fox. Tears start to slide down his cheeks as he checks for a pulse. When he finds none, he looks at Cotton and Midnight and shakes his head.

"NO!" Cotton cries as she rushes over to Crystal and hugs her. Not caring that everyone is watching, the Lopunny screams out her misery as she rocks Crystal against her. "Not Cryssy either… Please not Cryssy…"

"_**What is going on…?"**_ a familiar voice calls out of nowhere. Everyone turns quiet and turn to see two black and white orbs floating on Zoroark's platform. The Gods look at the scene and everything turns silent for a long time.

"_**I see…"**_ Reshiram sighs as he and Zekrom float down to circle around Crystal and Zoroark's bodies. _**"It turns out that we have all been deceived…"**_

"What do you mean…?" Midnight asks uncertainly.

"Crystal was Darkstar's spy," Zorua says as he sniffles. Several Pokémon gasp at this and they start talking to one another. "But she has gone to tell Darkstar that she quits working for him."

Then Reshiram and Zekrom use their powers to make a portal to show everyone what Zorua has witnessed. All the Pokémon see Zoroark's rage and hear his cruel words to Crystal. They see the pain that both Zoroark and Crystal have gone through. They hear every word that the lovers exchange with each other. They witness Crystal's sacrifice and how Zoroark has cast away Darkstar's spirit. They hear the lovers' last words before they perish. The last thing that everyone sees is Zorua moving closer after the lovers lose their consciousness.

When the vision finishes, everyone is lost in his or her own thoughts. Several Pokémon are crying while the others look angry or confused.

"I can't believe Zoroark would do that… To Crystal, of all people…"

"She really did love him…"

"But Cryssy? Why Cryssy…? She was such a nice girl…"

"Zoroark's now gone because of her…"

"But this doesn't make sense…" Midnight shakes her head. "How did this kill Zoroark?"

"_**Zoroark has devoted his soul to be with Crystal forever,"**_ Zekrom explains softly. _**"Her death has made his spirit seek out to destroy the person responsible for her death. That blast that you have seen Zoroark use is actually his soul. When it has impacted Darkstar's soul, he has cast Darkstar away. But Zoroark didn't kill him. As a side effect, Zoroark's great despair has shattered his soul."**_

"S-So he's really gone…?" Zorua whines as he looks up tearfully at the Gods.

"_**I'm afraid so, young one,"**_ Reshiram sighs. _**"This is truly a tragic event that has occurred in our army. We have not only lost our two generals, we have also lost two of the greatest Pokémon in existence."**_

Reshiram and Zekrom suddenly flow streams of their aura through the dead corpses. In reaction, Crystal and Zoroark's bodies begin to float in midair. White and red sparkles twinkle around the dead lovers until their bodies begin to fade from existence. Soon they become nothing more than thin air and are never seen again. No one protests to this; the Gods always do this when they bless someone into the afterlife.

"_**This great tale of tragic love and loss shall not be forgotten,"**_ Reshiram speaks out to everyone. _**"Share this story with your children and remember the love that Crystal and Zoroark have shared. Cherish their memories deep into your hearts and they will never die. It is as Crystal has said; it is not a true goodbye…"**_

The Pokémon merely nod as they start crying and turn to their homes to sleep for the night. Only Cotton, Logan, Midnight, and Zorua remain behind.

"Sirs…?" Zorua calls up to the Gods.

"_**Hmm?"**_ They turn to face the four heroes curiously.

"We were just wondering…" Logan rubs the back of his neck nervously. "Could you send us into the afterlife with Crystal and Zoroark?"

The Gods are silent, wondering why on Earth the young heroes would want to end their lives so early.

"There's just no point in life without Zoroark or Crystal around…" Cotton mutters as she holds her hands behind her back and kicks the dirt off the ground. "We promised Zoroark that we will always be there for him no matter what…"

"_**Is that what you truly want?"**_ Zekrom asks.

The four heroes look at each other before they nod up at the Gods. The Legendary beasts are silent for a moment.

"_**Yes, friendship is a valuable gift to have, even after death…"**_ Reshiram muses to himself. _**"And considering that Zoroark will be seeking out for Crystal, he will need his friends' support along the way…"**_

"'Seeking out for Crystal?' What do you mean?" Midnight asks in confusion. "Isn't Crystal in the afterlife too?"

"_**I'm afraid not, dear child,"**_Reshiram responds in a sad tone. _**"Because Crystal has been created by Darkstar, she is not one our own creations. Therefore, she has no access to the afterlife because of it. Her spirit will wander throughout the Earth forever until she finds another suitable vessel to live through another life."**_

Zorua pales at this. "Man, Zoroark will be devastated if he knows about this."

"_**You may join Zoroark in the afterlife, but stay with him at all times. Help him find Crystal and do no more. Do not mention anything about this conversation to him. It will only upset Zoroark more if he finds out that he cannot even speak to Crystal if he finds her. Since he is a ghost spirit, she will never acknowledge him. She will possibly hold no memories of their past life together unless she is reborn as someone else. Do I make myself clear?"**_

The heroes nod grimly as they memorize that order by heart. Soon they feel themselves disappearing into nothingness and they feel their worlds go black as they fade from existence forever.

-ooo-

In the next several centuries, Zoroark continues looking for Crystal's spirit in the afterlife and on Earth. But to his disappointment, he cannot find any trace of his love. Even though his friends are there to support him, he feels no comfort. He refuses to let himself down until he finds Crystal, but his hope begins to dim when he realizes that she is nowhere to be found.

Regardless of everything, Zoroark always dreams about being with Crystal again. It is a while later when Zoroark suddenly gets an order from his masters to help the Legendaries save the world once again. Zoroark agrees to do this mission with no questions asked. But before this mission has even been brought up, Zoroark has wished that if he ever has the chance to return to life, he would want to see his long lost love just once more…

**Just one more chapter to fix up! Support, please!**


	30. Chapter 30: Sympathy

**OK, the final chapter is up. Now that I've fixed up all my chapters, I want to make a few pointers to all readers. **

**First, I still need to update my other two stories; I dunno how long it'll take but hopefully way before the end of Christmas. **

**That leads to two; I have the next chapter started but I'm kinda stuck; I could use some tips on how Zoroark will tell Crystal about her past life and believe it.**

**Three, I'm glad that this story has a lot of support, but I want to see much more feedback about it. Everyone can comment. Tell me why you guys love it so much and if there is something off that you notice, don't hesitate to tell me. **

**Four, Glory For Sleep and I have decided that _'New Divide'_ will be the main sequel since GFS doesn't plan to work on _'Sanctuary' _anytime soon, so please stop asking her and me about it.**

**Five, I am willing to let you guys write stories about _'New Divide'_ but there are a few restrictions. Firstly, no sequels; _New Divide_ will end in the way that there will be no sequel for it. Alternate timeline stories or misadventures about my OCs are fine. If you have another idea, ask me through a PM. Secondly, please make sure that our OCs have their normal personalties (i.e. Laki is an optimistic person; don't change her into a mean person). Not only are you changing them up but you're making them OOC. Thirdly, if you plan to use my OCs or GFS's OCs in a story, then ask her or me first. Fourthly, ask so I know who is making a story. And I should have pointed this out earlier, but the contest that I set up was over a while ago.**

**Six, thanks to everyone for the support, especially GFS. It is her who made this story possible and I will continue. But please, _please _leave comments, feedbacks, or votes in the poll on my profile about this story. The more support, the faster chance I will update! Thank you.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 30: Sympathy**

The only sound that penetrates the heavy silence around the four heroes is the echoing chatters of the Legendaries from down below the valley. Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash study the deep sadness that is planted on the fox's face. Raikou and Ash have tears falling down from their eyes while Darkrai frowns sadly at Zoroark's tragic loss.

"Zoroark… We're so sorry… We had no idea…" Raikou glances down at his front paws sadly.

Zoroark's places his paws on his lap as his ears droop slightly. "I have never talked about my past with anyone other than Zorua. There isn't really any reason for me to say anything since I cannot change it." Zoroark rubs his wrists uncomfortably. "After meeting my mate… Everything has changed. I stayed in the afterlife for the better part of my life for thousands of years. I have searched high and low for my mate ever since then. It is then when Alpha and Omega have sent me down here to help you guys stop Darkstar …"

"Permanently?" Darkrai asks. Zoroark nods. "Forever. I cannot ever forgive that man for what he has done to my mate and me."

"Let me ask you something, Zoroark," Ash says unexpectedly. He looks confused. "Why are you telling us all of this? What's the point? You said it yourself; there is no point since the past cannot be changed."

"But that is where you are wrong, Ash," Zoroark sighs sadly. "Something has happened and it concerns me."

Then Zoroark digs through his hair for something. He pulls out a piece of paper and hands it out to the boys. The men look at the picture curiously. It is a well-made drawing of Zoroark and a black and white Grovyle. The duo are seen with their arms over their shoulders as they smile at the heroes. The heroes stare at the picture carefully before a horrible realization hits them. Raikou looks at Zoroark uneasily. "This was your mate?"

Zoroark nods. "It was drawn by a friend on the night that we have shared our first dance together."

Darkrai and Ash turn pale while Raikou noticeably swallows. "Zoroark, she looks just like-"

"Raikou! Darkrai! Ash!"

The heroes jump in surprise at the sudden call. They turn around to see that Deoxys and Mewtwo are floating by the stairs. The psychics have their eyebrows raised before Deoxys lets out a sigh of relief.  
>"Oh, there you are." She mutters as she floats over to the heroes. "Everyone's been wondering where you guys have been. You've been gone for almost an hour now."<p>

"We have?" Raikou raises his brow in surprise. Ash looks at his watch and his eyes widen in shock. "Oh, man! It's already past midnight!"

"Erm… We've been caught up on a lot of training," Darkrai covers them with the first excuse that comes to his mind. "Yeah. Then we found Zoroark sitting here. We talked with him for a little bit."

Raikou and Ash look at Darkrai, wondering what he is talking about. Then remembering that they have told everyone that they'd be out to train, they stay silent and nod in agreement. Zoroark raises his brow at the heroes and wonders why Darkrai would create such a lie. But thinking that it must be a cover to keep the conversation about his past as a secret, Zoroark doesn't say anything.

"Hmm." Deoxys taps her chin thoughtfully as she looks at the heroes. Then she shrugs. "OK then." She then floats forwards to grab Darkrai and Raikou by their arms. "Come on. Suicune and Cresselia need you both back."

"And your friends want to see you too," Mewtwo says as he picks up Ash by his arm. The small human looks warily at the psychic. "Just for safety precautions. Since Terotrey is out there…"

"Right… That's understandable…" Raikou nods in understanding. He looks over his shoulder at Zoroark. "You coming, Zoroark?"

"No, I wish to stay here." Zoroark turns to face the moon. "I need some more time to think…"

"… OK." Raikou merely nods in understanding. Then he looks at a confused Deoxys. "Let's go then…"

The psychics look at Zoroark skeptically before they shrug and follow the thunder tiger and nightmare ghost down the stairs. Zoroark could hear Ash yelling at Mewtwo to let go of him, but his voice fades as the Pokémon leave farther away.

Zoroark looks at the stairway that the heroes have disappeared at for a moment before he faces the moon again. He walks over to the cliff and sits down with his arms around his knees. He sighs quietly to himself as he watches the moon. After a few more moments of silence, he asks out of the blue, "How long have you been listening?"

He receives no response. Zoroark forces a chuckle as he states, "Now, now. You don't need to hide anymore. They're gone. You can come out now, Crystal."

On cue, the white form of the lizard comes out of her hiding spot behind the tree. She holds an unsure look on her face as she stands near the tree. She then begins to walk over to Zoroark with her hands held up together. Zoroark smiles as he looks at her.

"I…" Crystal hangs her head guiltily. "I have overheard everything from the start… I'm sorry. It was rude of me to eavesdrop. I just came up here to see what the boys are up to." Crystal holds a sad frown on her face. "I'm really sorry about your girlfriend, though…"

Zoroark watches Crystal fiddle her fingers and he sighs softly. He stands up and walks over to Crystal, placing a hand on the Grovyle's shoulder. "There is no harm done. However…" He holds a curious look on his face. "Did you see anything?"

Crystal blinks and tilts her head. "No; I had my back on the tree as I listened to your talk. I didn't see anything that you might have shown. Why?"

'_So she still doesn't know… this might be my only opportunity…'_ Zoroark thinks to himself. He shakes his head as he shrugs. "No reason." Suddenly, the fox holds out his paw to Crystal. "I know that this may seem sudden, but I would like to take you to somewhere special. Will you come with me, Crystalline?"

Crystal doesn't know what it is that makes her stare at the fox and have all the trust in the world for him. She says nothing as she looks at his offered paw. Without another word, she places her hand in his paw. His large fingers cover her small ones as warmth seeps through their skins. It feels so right… Zoroark smiles as he pulls Crystal gently towards him. Without warning, he picks her up and hoists her onto his back. "Hold on tightly to my hair. Don't let go."

Crystal's arms find their way around the fox's neck as she wraps her legs around his waist and presses herself against his fur. She feels instant warmth and comfort from the red fur that she is currently resting on. It feels so familiar for whatever reason. Zoroark smiles gently as he glances over his shoulder at Crystal. Suddenly he jumps off the cliff. Crystal lets out a terrified shriek that is quickly muffled by Zoroark's hair. She clings onto the fox tightly in fear and panic.

'_Relax,'_ Zoroark tells the lizard telepathically. _'Trust me…'_

At his gentle tone, Crystal takes a deep breath as they come closer to the ground. Zoroark lands gracefully on the grassy surface before he stops to catch his breath. He shakes his limbs before he starts to run on all fours through the meadow. Crystal holds onto Zoroark tightly as she lets the fox lead them to their unknown destination.

The duo fail to see a pair of red orbs glaring at them darkly from behind the bushes. The owner holds a displeased look on his face as he narrows his ruby eyes at the retreating heroes. How dare that fox take what is rightfully his?

Once they get back, he will claim what is rightfully his. Crystal will belong to him…

**More support, please!**


	31. Chapter 31: Reunited Love

**SURPRISE! A brand new update! I'm surprised that it took me a lot faster to think about; but it turned out pretty good. Anywho, enjoy the new chapter! Leave a comment or feedback, please!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 31: Reunited Love**

"There's my main dude!" Jeff holds up his flowery hands as the heroes join the group. Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash hold bewildered looks as everyone turns to look at them with smiles on their faces. Ash had to talk to his mother and Professor Oak through Mewtwo's watch to assure them that he is fine and that everything is all right. Once he is done with the talk, Deoxys and Mewtwo join the Legendaries as the mighty creators resume their topics. The heroes' close allies watch their friends join them.

"What's going on?" Raikou raises a brow.

"Nothing, much," Logan shrugs as the heroes sit and form a circle around the campfire. "Violet was just getting a new makeover."

The heroes blink before they look around for the female ghost. They don't see her and grow confused.

"I'm down here, morons," She hisses. Startled, the Pokémon look down and see a shadow right next to them with crossed arms.

"Well, come out and show yourself," Cotton snickers behind her hand. "It's kinda hard for us to see you as a shadow."

"Come on, Vi," Laki smirks as she leans against Gallade comfortably. The two heroes have grown quite comfortable around each other and they have no problems showing their affections in public. Gallade smiles as he nuzzles against Laki's pink fur.

"No! I look ridiculous!" Violet snarls loudly.

"Is it that bad?" Darkrai chuckles.

"If it's making Violet hide, then I guess it is," Rocky snickers. "But boy, she looks a heck lot better than she usually does."

"Shut up! You're only saying that to make me feel better!" Violet hisses.

"Hey, I'm just expressing my thoughts," Rocky shrugs his shoulders defensively.

"What's going on?" Ribo comes up to the group with a bemused look in his eyes.

"Violet has a new makeover but she's too shy to come out to show us," Raikou points at Violet's shadowy form.

"I'm not shy! I just don't feel like coming out, that's all," Violet snaps defensively.

"Violet, come out and let us see you!" Laki says insistently. Then she smirks. "If you don't, then I'll tell everyone about your date incident with the Haunter!"

There is silence for a moment. "You wouldn't dare…" Violet growls.

"I would," Laki crosses her arms as she smirks. "And don't bother trying to use your dark affinity on me; I have my light affinity shielding me from all of your powers if you try anything. Anyway," Laki stalls herself and her smirk widens as she begins her tale. "One time Violet and a Haunter were out in the meadow and he tried to-"

"OK! OK! Fine, I'll come out!" Violet shouts angrily. After a lot of hesitation, she comes up and shows herself in the campfire. When the heroes see her, their eyes widen. "Whoa…" Ash comments.

Violet's appearance has changed dramatically. Violet no longer has purple hair or red eyes. She has albino hair and light blue eyes just like Darkrai does. But the difference between her and Darkrai is that her figure is noticeably feminine and her hair has a violet-red hair tie holding her hair up in the form of a ponytail. Violet honestly looks more elegant. Then the boys realize why Violet is mad and they fight hard to avoid snickering behind their hands.

The real reason that Violet is mad is because her skin is now as dark as the color that she is named after.

"Wow…" Ribo looks stunned by Violet's new appearance. He seems entranced.

"I know, I know…" Violet groans as she runs a claw through her hair. "I look terrible. Go ahead and laugh."

"No, you actually look great," Ribo shakes his head as he sits down next to Logan. "You look more… More…" He pauses as he tries to find the appropriate word.

"Different?" Scalene offers. Ribo shakes his head.

"Radiant?" Rocky offers with a smirk. Ribo snaps his fingers. "Yes!" Then he blinks and panics when he realizes that he has been tricked. "I mean, no! I mean that… Well… Crap…" Ribo covers his face in embarrassment as everyone but Violet laughs. The female ghost raises a brow at the psychic before she shrugs and sits down next to him.

"Seriously, though," Raikou grins as he calms down. "You look great."

"Thanks… I guess…" Violet crosses her arms and glares at the side. Raikou could barely make out the blush on her cheeks, but he chooses not to say anything.

"So where were you guys?" Midnight asks the heroes.

"Just training…" Raikou shrugs. "We got caught up and we barely noticed the time. After a while, we came back here. We came across Zoroark and-"

"Wait, you were with Zoroark?" Cotton blinks in surprise. Then she holds a cautious look on her face. "Where is he?"

"Up at the cliffs." Darkrai jabs his thumb over his shoulder at the stairs. "He needs some time to himself."

"Strange…" Scalene muses to herself. "Crystal has gone up there not too long ago. She wanted to see what you guys were doing-"

"Wait, Crystal is up there?" Ash asks. He, Raikou, and Darkrai glance at each other uneasily. "How long ago has she followed us?" He asks suspiciously.

"Right after you guys left," Suicune replies thoughtfully. She tilts her head curiously as the trio exchange uneasy glances.

"So Zoroark and Crystal are up there alone?" Zorua asks uneasily. Raikou pauses as he looks at Zoroark's friends and sighs. Since they know about their leader's past, they must be very uneasy about Zoroark being alone with Crystal after what happened.

"Zoroark told us everything," Darkrai says unexpectedly. The four Pokémon freeze and their eyes widen in alarm. Logan mouths 'Everything?' and the heroes grimly nod. "We understand your concern about Zoroark and Crystal." Raikou states softly.

"What concern about Zoroark and Crystal?" Laki leans forward. Suddenly the Legendaries turn to look at the heroes. When the trio sees Arceus, Zarko, and Giratina's uneasy looks, they know that the trio know about what has happened between Zoroark and Crystal and are just as nervous about it as they are. They were there when it happened; they were practically close friends with Crystal's past life!

Suicune sits up and narrows her eyes at her boyfriend. "It's not as if Zoroark and Crystal met each other before… Right?"

The looks that the heroes exchange compel the other Pokémon to be suspicious. Suicune places her paw onto Raikou's arm and she gives him a stern frown. "What's going on, Raikou? Is there something that we need to know?"

Cresselia sits beside Darkrai and gives him the same skeptical look. The phantom sighs as he wraps an arm around his girlfriend's neck and looks at the campfire. "It's a long story and I still don't understand all of it. But it has a lot to deal with Crystal and it's not gonna be pretty when you guys hear it."

The Pokémon nod in understanding. In the back of their minds, Crystal's friends are worried about how Crystal is affecting Zoroark. Whatever the case may be, they know that they will not let anything hurt Crystal. Maybe whatever is going on between Crystal and Zoroark will pass by. The commanders did notice that Zoroark is very uncomfortable whenever Crystal is around and wonder why Zoroark looks nervous around Crystal. The commanders have a feeling that whatever Darkrai says is only going to bring up more questions than answers.

-ooo-

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see…"

Zoroark continues running with the princess riding on his back. The cool evening breeze hits the duo as the fox continues to run down the foliage with unbelievable speed. Crystal buries her face into the foxes' hair as warmth seeps into her body from his large coat. She also doesn't want to risk turning sick by seeing the trees pass by her like slideshows. One would think that warping through many portals would give Crystal a strong stomach. But this experience is different; it's almost exhilarating but too fast for her liking.

Zoroark jumps through various boulders across his path as he makes his way towards his destiny. He occasionally looks over his back to peek at the princess and smiles when he sees her huddled form leaning against his back. Her skin is so warm for a reptile's body; Zoroark shudders when he feels the princess nuzzle her face against his neck.

He continues to run through the foliage. He is certain that they are several miles away from the island but Crystal can easily use her watch to warp back home. But Zoroark doesn't plan to return anytime soon; he needs to show something to Crystal. Something that would hopefully make her memories return.

Suddenly he sees a green glow ahead and stops abruptly. Crystal yelps from the sudden movement and glances down at Zoroark curiously. The fox helps the lizard off his back and he turns to face her.

"Crystal, there is something special that I want to show you. But first you need to close your eyes."

Crystal frowns and raises a brow. Zoroark smiles reassuringly. "It's a surprise. I promise that you'll like it."

Crystal narrows her eyes skeptically before she closes her eyes and waits for something to happen. Zoroark waves his paw over her face. When she makes no movement, he smiles and carefully takes her hands into his paws and leads her towards the glowing light. He carefully walks backwards and helps Crystal walk over small river creeks as he leads them to a small meadow. The ground glows from wherever they step at until they stop in the middle of the meadow.

Zoroark leans closely over Crystal's head and whispers, "All right… Open your eyes."

Crystal slowly opens her eyes and gasps as soon as she sees the meadow. She sees different lilies glowing different shades of purple, green, and blue. Small baby Volbeat fly around the meadow and pay no mind to the couple as their tails light up the enchanting meadow. A gentle breeze blows through the duo while Crystal looks around in awe, wonder, and confusion.

Suddenly Crystal is overwhelmed by different emotions. She closes her eyes and sighs when her mind displays a random but powerful memory. She sees herself and Zoroark talking about something before they smile at each other and kiss. The kissing session overwhelms Crystal and she shudders under Zoroark's hold as he begins to kiss her neck…

Crystal's eyes snap open in shock. She looks around the meadow before she kneels beside a small lily and gently caresses it. A small tear falls out of her eye when realization hits her. It was her… She was Zoroark's…

Suddenly Crystal feels a paw on her shoulder. She looks up and sees Zoroark frowning sadly down at her. He looks sympathetic and somewhat hopeful.

"H-How long…?" Crystal asks.

Zoroark sighs as he kneels down beside Crystal. He gently wraps an arm around the lizard as he looks down at the lily patch before them. "Over two thousand years… It was over two thousand years since I have seen you…"

"But… I…" Crystal looks down at her hands in confusion. "Me… Working for Darkstar…? And… All those things I did… What…?"

Zoroark knows that Crystal is in doubt with herself. He shushes her gently as he squeezes her comfortingly. "It's all right… It's all right…"

"But I cannot be the same person!" Crystal suddenly jumps up and steps away from Zoroark. Her eyes brim with tears as she shakes her head. "I'm not even her anymore! I'm an entirely different person! How can you already love me again…?"

Zoroark frowns and sighs. He stands up and steps towards Crystal. Crystal takes a step back. "Crystalline… I know that this is difficult for you to understand, but it is true. You are the reincarnation of my mate."

"And so what?" Suddenly Crystal narrows her eyes at the fox. "You expect me to be your lover again? To love you the same way I once did in my past life? I'm not sure that you realize that we are two entirely different people! The girl that you fell in love with was a traitor and a spy! I am not such a person! I'm the daughter of Arceus and Blackfire!"

"But there is one thing you do have in common." Zoroark says gently. "You possess the same heart and soul. You share the qualities that I love. You both are fearless girls that do not like being told what to do. You never put yourselves down and you always defend the people that you love."

Crystal's eyes turn into slits and she snarls as she turns away. "We may share some qualities, but we are still not the same people."

"Of course you aren't." Zoroark says patiently. "And I don't expect you to act the same way that my mate did. I don't even want to see you as your old self; I want to see you as you are _now_. I love you for _you_, the bravest soul that dares to fight against Darkstar and risks everything to save her loved ones. Just as you spared your mother from Darkstar's control."

The mention of her mother makes something in Crystal snap. The tears fall from her eyes and she turns to punch Zoroark. Zoroark dodges the attack and grabs Crystal's wrist tightly. Crystal tries to smack him with her other hand but Zoroark grabs it as well. Before she could kick her legs up, Zoroark quickly turns her around and pins her against a nearby tree. He holds her wrists tightly against her back as she struggles against his weight. Zoroark involuntarily shudders feeling her body move under him and Crystal shudders at the heat he transfers to her.

Crystal's tears fall down her cheeks as she struggles against the fox. She hasn't cried this hard in ages; not even when her mother passed on. Finally Crystal lets out a choked cry and stops struggling. Zoroark doesn't loosen his hold on her.

"Why… Why did you bring me here…?" Crystal asks weakly. Zoroark sighs. "To see if you do remember me and what we use to have. Please listen to me, Crystal. Try to understand my concern. I just found out that the granddaughter of my bosses is the reincarnation of my soul mate. How do you think that I should have reacted?"

Crystal says nothing and he continues. "If I am someone else, I would have demanded answers from my bosses. My own teammates covered your body from me out of fear of my reaction of seeing you."

Realization dawns Crystal and she relaxes a bit. "That explains why I was tied up…" She muses.

Zoroark shakes his head. "You're missing the point, Crystal. I never questioned my bosses' motives; they must have chosen to revive me and my team for a reason. They know what Crystal and I used to have. They wouldn't have let us meet each other again for the sake of it."

"What are you suggesting?" Crystal asks impatiently.

"They must have planned this all out. They must have given us another chance to be together."

Crystal hisses and struggles even harder. Zoroark is a bit surprised by her sudden strength but he manages to pin her down. "Even if I do remember you from my past life, I barely know you and you barely know me!"

Suddenly Zoroark loses his patience and he growls. He presses himself against Crystal tightly. Crystal yelps from the pressure and groans. Zoroark calms down a bit and relaxes his hold. "Crystalline, I know that every soul don't change their preferences and personalities from their past lives. With that said, I know you quite well. You want friends that will accept you as you are and not for your status. Your favorite flowers are lilies and you love to paint in your free time. You tend to be mischievous at times and you never judge a book by its cover. You are very accepting to all people and you listen to their problems before you reach a decision."

As Zoroark speaks, Crystal begins to cry again. Zoroark lets go of Crystal and turns her around. He pins her against the tree by the shoulders and smiles sadly at her. "I can list other qualities that you have. But you're right about not knowing me that well…"

Suddenly Midnight's advice comes across the fox's mind. The fox hesitates; another idea hits him but he isn't sure if he should do it. For one, it's highly improper since the duo just met. But on the other hand, it might work. If seeing the meadow helps Crystal's memories return, then surely this would help improve her memory…

Zoroark places a paw on Crystal's cheek. He rubs the tearstains away and smiles down at Crystal. "Crystal, I know that I might have blown it at this point, but do you still trust me?"

Crystal looks up at Zoroark and hesitates. But seeing his blue orbs gazing down at her makes her heart melt. She finds the words slipping out before she could think. "Yes…"

"Then close your eyes for a moment…"

Crystal hesitates for a moment before she does what she is told. Her heart begins to pound against her chest as she waits for something to happen. Suddenly she feels warm lips upon hers and nearly shouts out when she realizes that Zoroark is kissing her.

But something about the kiss sets her mind off. She feels her heart heating up and memories flash in her mind as Zoroark deepens the kiss. Crystal could see and feel everything that her past life has experienced; the love for Zoroark, the heartbreak from his cruel words, her slow but peaceful death… Everything.

She remembers it all.

Crystal returns the kiss slowly and groans as Zoroark wraps his arms around her small body. The duo continue their kissing session for several minutes until they slowly pull away. Crystal places her hands on Zoroark's chest before she opens her eyes and looks up at him. His sapphire eyes glow brightly as he smiles down at her.

"Zoroark, I remember… But that kiss… How…?"

"Midnight told me that if you loved me with your entire soul, then you would remember some parts of your past life the more you spend time with me. And judging by how you kissed me back…" He couldn't help but smirk.

Crystal smiles at him. "I remember who you are entirely. You were my grandparents' closest friend and general. You took me in even though the other soldiers were skeptical of me…" Crystal then looks around the meadow and smiles as a tear falls from her eye. "And we confessed our feelings for each other right here in this meadow…"

Zoroark smiles as he hugs Crystal to him tightly. He holds her head to his chest so she could listen to his heartbeat. "But now that you remember… I want you to choose on what to do with your life. I won't force you to love me like you once did…"

"What do you mean 'once did'?" Crystal raises a brow. "I always did and I always will. I am your soul mate and you are my soul mate. Nothing, not even Darkstar or my grandparents, will ever keep us apart again." She nuzzles her face against Zoroark's fur. She frowns when Zoroark turns tense. "… Z?" She asks.

Zoroark blinks before he smiles. Crystal always used to call him that; hearing it again was so endearing…

"I have a feeling that I'm going to have a very ugly talk with your father about us…"

Crystal blinks. She hasn't thought about how Arceus or her friends will react to their new relationship. After all, they just met a couple of hours ago and they are already together. But surely the heroes would understand the couple's situation. Besides, Crystal's friends know her better than that. They would accept Crystal's relationship with Zoroark; he is a genuinely good guy. Persuading Arceus and the exiles might be a little more difficult, but Crystal isn't going to give up until they give their approval.

"Don't worry about them. I'll take care of it…" Crystal mutters. Zoroark chuckles as he runs a paw through her back. Soon he kneels down and sits against the tree while Crystal sits on his lap. The duo rest comfortably there until Zoroark looks at Crystal.

"Crystal?" Zoroark whispers softly.

"Yes?" Crystal looks at her new lover and smiles.

The fox is silent as he pulls the Grovyle into his furry chest and nuzzles his face against her head. "Stay with me tonight…" He murmurs desperately.

Crystal is stunned before heat flushes through her body. After everything that has happened, she knows that her purpose for life is holding her tightly in his arms. He's afraid to let her go just as he did so many millenniums ago. He's afraid that she would disappear and that his heart break once again.

Well, Crystal will have to heal the wound that he has suffered through for several centuries, won't she?

"I'm not going anywhere, Zoroark. I will always be with you."

**Feedback, please! Next chapter, chaos lurks.**


	32. Chapter 32: Drama

**New chapter! I remade the poll for if I should update this story more often! I am also making an Alice in Wonderland: 2010 story! Comments on this story would be appreciated! Suggestions for future chapters is also acceptable!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 32: Drama **

"Oh, poor Zoroark…"

Cresselia and Suicune's faces are wet with tears after Raikou explains everything to the heroes. Several other heroes look grim, sad, and even stunned by the news.

"Dude, that sucks…" Jeff says. He wipes a tear from his cheek while Skyler pats his shoulder comfortingly. "Zoroark seems so calm… I can't think that he'd go through something like that…"

"The last few centuries have changed him," Midnight murmurs sadly. "He hasn't said anything because he hoped to find Crystal's soul. No matter how many times we told him to rest, he wouldn't stop until he found her."

"After Reshiram and Zekrom ordered us to revive Crystal, Zoroark's hope began to dim. He hasn't found any source of Crystal in the afterlife. He couldn't find her on Earth either after so many centuries…" Cotton adds quietly.

"We kept Crystal's body hidden for a reason; we weren't sure of how Zoroark would react if he knew that the princess is the reincarnation of his lost lover." Logan adds.

"And it makes sense on why Zoroark didn't find her sooner; Crystal has been captured by Darkstar for a few centuries before she hid in the Garden of Eden. The Garden was overlooked only by Alpha and Omega because it was the birthplace of most Legendaries. Plus, we didn't think that Crystal would hide in such a sacred island…" Zorua adds.

There is silence as the heroes stare at the campfire. Then Laki speaks. "I can't believe this… Crystal? As Darkstar's spy? It doesn't fit…"

"I think it's cruel irony," Rocky suddenly snorts as he crosses his arms. "Reshiram and Zekrom obviously knew that this would happen. They set this up on purpose. Why else would they have chosen Team Illusion to come back?"

"They aren't that cruel…" Cotton protests. She glares at the Rhyperior. "They probably thought that Zoroark could have another chance to be with Crystal."

"Crystal!" Violet jumps up suddenly. Her eyes are wide and she looks concerned. "She's with Zoroark! Alone!"

Darkrai raises a brow at her. "So?"

"So? So even if there is the slightest chance that Crystal could be the reincarnation of his girlfriend, they don't know each other!" Violet protests. "Who knows what Zoroark could do to her?"

"Now, wait one moment…" Zorua holds up a paw. "My brother may be a little unstable, but he would never hurt anyone on purpose!"

"But Zoroark attacked his own girlfriend when he thought she betrayed him!" Violet shouts. There is silence as everyone glances at each other. Violet crosses her arms. "Look, I'm not saying that Zoroark is a bad guy, but I don't really trust him to be alone with Crystal. He might even be using her as a replacement…"

"I know Zoroark," Arceus says suddenly. Everyone looks at him. "He wouldn't do something to make Crystal uncomfortable. I'm sure that he might even express his concern to her. They'll work something out."

"How can you be calm about this?" Violet demands. "This is your daughter that we are talking about! Shouldn't you be a little concerned that your old friend might try to hit on her?"

Arceus puts on a strange expression. "When you put it that way, it does sound strange. But Crystal is a young lady now; she can make her own choices."

"He's right." Ribo cuts in. "Regardless of all this, it will be Crystal's choice on how she accepts it. And all we can do is be there for her."

"Honestly, I think that they'd be cute together." Laki smiles. "It's about time that Crystal has a boyfriend; she needs to stop thinking so much about work and have more fun." She looks at Gallade as he wraps his arms around her. The warrior smiles down at her.

"Well, Crystal and Zoroark better be back here before dawn." Violet hisses. "If they aren't, then Zoroark and I will have a little talk over by the fire…" She smiles evilly at the campfire. The heroes shudder at her implication.

"Violet, just relax…" Raikou sighs as he places a paw on her shoulder. "I know Crystal enough to say that she is capable of taking care of herself. If anything goes wrong, then we'll know."

Violet says nothing as she looks at him. Before she could say anything, Ash runs towards the group. He has left the heroes to check on Crystal and Zoroark up on the cliff while Raikou and Darkrai explain their concern about Crystal and Zoroark.

"Guys! They're gone!" Ash cries. The Pokémon look at him. "Who?" Raikou raises a brow.

"Crystal and Zoroark! They're gone!" Ash points at the flight of stairs. He breathes heavily as he tries to catch his breath.

"What are you talking about?" Mewtwo demands.

"Just what I said!" Ash shouts irritably. "They're not on the cliff! They're gone!"

There is stunned silence as everyone gapes at the human. Suddenly Violet roars and throws her fists up in the air. "ZOROARK, I'M GONNA KILL YOU AS SOON AS I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!"

Ribo groans as he slaps his forehead. "Aw, hell…" The poor Pokémon are forced to listen to Violet as she goes on about making a search party and how she will rip off Zoroark's special parts and feed them to Houndoom as soon as she finds him.

-ooo-

The sun slowly rises above the foliage. The morning dew begins to dry as the morning slowly warms up the valley and forest. Hidden amongst the trees are a pair of lovers sleeping on the soft grass. The fox has his arm wrapped around the lizard's waist as the lizard rests her back comfortably against his fur.

When the sun hits the duo's body, Zoroark's brows furrow before he opens his eyes. He looks around the meadow and sees the white lilies beginning to hide away from the sunlight. Then he looks down and sees Crystal resting peacefully under him. Zoroark's frown turns into a small smile; the memories of the night before have dawned upon him. He still couldn't believe that this is really happening. He has his lover back.

Zoroark slowly turns Crystal so she rests on her back. Then he leans down to kiss Crystal's forehead. Crystal's eye twitches before she relaxes. Zoroark smiles again as he kisses her snout. Crystal's snout twitches before she relaxes. Then Zoroark teasingly brushes his lips against her own before he gives Crystal a soft kiss. Crystal sighs as she slowly returns the kiss. Then she opens her eyes and sees Zoroark's loving eyes.

Suddenly Crystal's eyes widen and she pulls back to let out a shriek. Startled, Zoroark moves away while Crystal jumps backwards but ends up hitting her head against a nearby tree. Crystal groans as she rubs her head. Suddenly realization dawns upon Crystal and the lizard smiles sheepishly.

"Oh, yeah…"

Zoroark chuckles as he crawls over to Crystal. "Not a morning person, are you?"

"Not really…" Crystal admits. She sits up and yawns as she stretches her arms. "I can't remember stuff right after I wake up. I feel so lazy when I wake up…"

Zoroark chuckles and wraps an arm around her shoulder. He places a kiss on her head. "You haven't changed a bit… Your past life always made a fuss when waking up."

Crystal flushes a bit at his heated look and turns away. Zoroark places a paw over Crystal's chin and gently tilts her head to make her look back at him. He smiles tenderly at Crystal and runs his paw through her cheek. "You know, I think it's cute when you blush…"

Crystal could feel her cheeks redden even more. "I have white skin. It stands out more…" She pouts.

"Makes it even more adorable…" He smiles as he cradles her cheeks. Crystal couldn't help but smile. Suddenly Zoroark leans forward and gives Crystal another kiss. Crystal sighs contently as she returns the kiss slowly. Then Zoroark slowly deepens the kiss and holds Crystal's arms as he pulls her closer to him. Crystal sits on his lap and straddles his waist as she wraps her arms around his neck. Then they pull away to breathe. Zoroark begins to kiss her neck when Crystal's watch begins to beep.

The lovers groan when their moment is shattered. Crystal turns away from Zoroark to look down at her watch. Her eyes widen when she realizes that she has fifty missed calls from Violet.

"Violet…" She mutters. Then realization hits her and she jumps up to her feet. "Oh, crap! I didn't tell anyone about where I was going! They must be freaking out about where we are!"

Zoroark's concerned look suddenly turns calm. He smiles as he stands up. "Well, it is early. We should be heading back…"

"Violet's gonna give me hell…" Crystal mutters as she presses a few buttons on her watch. She flinches when Zoroark wraps his arms around her waist. He nuzzles his snout against her neck when she finishes typing the code to access a portal. "She always was a mother hen around me… She's worse than Laki is with her triplets…"

"Hmm…" Zoroark smiles as he kisses her jaw. Crystal smiles and playfully moves away. Zoroark gives her a questioning look.

"We can't be seen too intimate… Remember that we only met each other a few hours ago…" Crystal smiles. Zoroark stares at her before he nods in agreement.

"But we can't hide it forever…" He murmurs as he holds her hand. Crystal looks down at it before she smiles. "True… I'm sure that my friends will understand at least…"

"And Violet?" Zoroark raises a brow. Crystal pauses as the portal appears. She shrugs. "Eh… She won't do anything as long as I have a say in it."

Zoroark suddenly looks anxious. "That makes me feel better… That woman is a walking gun machine."

"That's not nice!" Crystal pushes him away as she laughs. Zoroark chuckles before he brushes dirt off his fur. "And what about the others?"

Crystal pauses as she grabs his hand and thinks. "I'm not sure about my father… But I'm sure that it'll work out." She smiles and squeezes his hand. "Ready?"

Zoroark lets out an exaggerated breath. "For my death?" When Crystal gives him a look, he gives in and nods. "I'm ready."

"Good. Let's go."

With their hands still together, they enter the portal together. They don't see a pair of red eyes watching them from the shadows. The shadow smiles evilly before he disappears through the foliage.

-ooo-

Eclipso groans as soon as he floats up from the shadows. He rubs his dome-like head as he floats over to the lake. He barely remembered anything that has happened after he left the island. Now that he thinks about it, he doesn't even remember why he left in the first place.

Eclipso carefully grabs a drink of water and makes sure not to get his machine-like limbs wet. He is still getting over the extreme change but greatly wishes that he has his old body back. Darkstar will pay for what he did to him and the other exiles.

The thought of Darkstar makes Eclipso pause. Why does it feel like Darkstar has done something worse than transforming exiles into robots?

"Eclipso!" Saberspark calls. The phantom turns and sees the thunder tiger running towards him with Raikou and Darkrai right behind him. The trio pant in exhaustion before they look at the curious phantom.

"You're back! Any sign of Darkstar?"

"What?" Eclipso blinks. Saberspark gives him a strange look. "Ribo said that you were out patrolling and decided to see if Darkstar was around… Did you find him?"

'_Was that was I was doing?'_ Eclipso wonders. Suddenly his head begins to pound and he groans as he kneels down. Bewildered and confused, the trio kneel by the phantom and ask what's wrong.

Eclipso ignores them as he clutches his dome-shaped head. Flashes of what happened before hit him and he is horrified when he realizes what Darkstar did. Suddenly a dark voice orders Eclipso to back down while something else takes over his body. The phantom slowly floats up and responds in a deep tone. "Yes, I'm fine."

"You sure?" Raikou raises a brow. "You looked like you were suffering from a seizure there."

"I tripped and hit my head over a rock last night. It sort of jumbled with my brain. I'll be fine." The phantom shrugs it off before he looks around the valley. He notices that the Legendaries and heroes look distressed and is curious. "What's the fuss about?"

"Crystal and Zoroark have gone missing last night." Darkrai responds. Then he lets out a sigh. "They probably left to have a private talk. However, Violet is throwing a fit and thinks that they might be captured."

Eclipso's heart leaps while the person possessing his mind seems intrigued. The heroes fail to see a small smile forming on his lips as his eyes glow. "I see…"

"You aren't worried?" Saberspark asks curiously. "Usually you'd act overboard when it concerns Crystal's safety."

Eclipso shrugs as he crosses his arms. "I've just been thinking. Crystal's a big girl now and she can take care of herself just fine. I trust her reasons."

Saberspark narrows his eyes suspiciously. Eclipso is never usually this calm. He'd never let Crystal go that easily either. But before he could say anything, a portal appears beside them. The four Pokémon look to the side and see Crystal and Zoroark jumping out of the portal. But what surprises the four is that the duo are holding hands and smiling at each other.

Suddenly Crystal sees the boys and pulls Zoroark gently along with her as she walks towards the heroes. Before she could say anything, one loud voice shouts out the lizard's name.

"CRYSTAL! ZOROARK! YOU BOTH BETTER HAVE A GOOD EXPLANATION AS TO WHY YOU WERE GONE! WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU FOR HOURS! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW WORRIED WE WERE? YOU COULD HAVE BEEN CAPTURED FOR ALL WE KNOW!" Violet shouts as she storms over to the duo. She fails to notice how close they are. "AND NOW THAT YOU'RE BOTH BACK, YOU BETTER START TALKING! WHAT WERE YOU DOING AND-" Violet finally notices their joined hands and turns silent. She gapes at the duo while the rest of the heroes walk up to the duo.

Crystal smiles as she holds Zoroark's paw with both of her own. She sees the heroes' surprised looks and glances at Zoroark. He nods to her and squeezes her hand before Crystal looks back at her friends. "Guys, Zoroark told me about my past life. I know everything."

There is silence as everyone stares at Crystal. Finally Ribo breaks the silence and looks intrigued. "And…?"

"I've accepted the truth. I also accepted the fact that he is my soul mate." Crystal smiles at Zoroark.

There is another silence as everyone's expressions turn comical. Some hold looks of disbelief while others look intrigued, outraged, or just stunned. Eclipso could feel his heart plummeting. _'No…'_

"Soul mate?" Violet demands. She suddenly scoffs. "Crys, you honestly don't believe in that stuff? It's only a rumor!"

"Just as much as this island is a rumor," Crystal counters. "Zoroark and I agree that Alpha and Omega have brought us together again for a reason. This might be our chance to renew what we haven't started yet."

"But-" Violet starts spluttering as she points accusingly at Zoroark. "You've barely known each other for a few hours! How can you already be together! He told you everything? And you accept it? Just like that?"

"Yes." Crystal simply says.

"But you two barely know each other!" Violet shouts. "Besides, he's too old for you!"

Zoroark looks both amused and offended. "Hey! I'm not that old!"

"Violet, Zoroark has taken me to a meadow where his old lover and he confessed their love. That place triggered memories into my mind of what they used to have. That wouldn't have happened if I wasn't the same girl. And as for the age, we're not really that far off. In human years, he's about five-hundred years older than I am. In Legendary customs, that's only a five-year age difference."

Violet is too stunned to say anything. She stares at the duo for a few moments before she grumbles under her breath. Crystal is silent before she looks at her father and Zarko, who look incredibly thoughtful. She lets go of Zoroark and walks up to Arceus. "Dad…"

"Crystalline," Arceus sighs as he shakes his head. His eyes glow a bit before they fade. "I'll admit that I didn't expect for you to start dating one of my oldest and closest friends." He shoots Zoroark a meaningful look before he looks down at Crystal. "However, I know that he will treat you well. I only hope that he will make you happy. If you really do remember what has happened in his past life, do not hurt him again."

"Take care of him like he would take care of you." Zarko adds.

Crystal looks surprised by her father's acceptance. "You're OK with this? Really?"

"Yes, although I am going to have to get used to the fact that my daughter is dating an old friend…" He makes a disturbed look that makes Crystal want to giggle. She hugs his leg tightly. "Thanks, Dad…"

"Crys, we know that you wouldn't date anyone for the sake of it." Laki suddenly steps up. She smiles at her best friend and hugs her. "I can't tell you how long all of us have waited for this day. We want to see you with someone who will make you happy." Laki gives Zoroark a smile before she looks at Crystal. "Don't let him go, no matter what. He might be the best thing that will- or has- ever happen to you."

Crystal smiles and hugs Laki before she looks at Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash. The boys are silent before Ash and Raikou nod with smiles on their faces. Behind them, their close allies and the other Legendaries nod or smile in approval.

Suddenly Darkrai floats forward and takes Crystal's shoulders. "Crystal, in the short time that we've known each other, I've seen you like the child I never got the chance to have…" His face looks sad but he smiles forcefully. "I care for you and I don't want to see you get hurt. But Zoroark has told me, Raikou, and Ash about his situation. We told everyone else about it as well. Just understand that some of us will be a little anxious as you two are dating, especially Team Illusion." He points at the uneasy and anxious Pokémon. "Just don't do anything too drastic that will get you both hurt."

Crystal smiles at Darkrai and gives him a hug. "Thanks, Darkrai. So we are all good?" Crystal looks at everyone. Then she blinks. "Wait, where's Eclipso? I thought I saw him a moment ago…"

Raikou and Darkrai look at each other and realize that Saberspark is also missing. In fact, all the exiles are gone.

"He went that way…" Suicune points at the cave leading to the deep tunnels. "Eclipso looks a little sick for some reason…"

Crystal looks confused before realization hits her. "Oh, no…" She places a hand on her forehead. Zoroark places a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?" He asks in concern.

Then the heroes remember that Eclipso has deep feelings for Crystal. Hearing Crystal having a relationship with another man must have broken his heart. The exiles must have followed him to calm him down.

Crystal sighs as she moves away. She looks at Zoroark's confused look. "I need to go talk with Eclipso about something… I'll be right back…" She looks at her friends before she rushes towards the cave. Zoroark is about to go after her before Raikou and Darkrai hold him back.

"Let her go. This is something that Eclipso and she have to settle alone…" Zarko murmurs softly.

"Eclipso? The robot phantom?" Zoroark raises a brow. "What's going on?" Team Illusion looks just as confused.

The heroes sigh before they set Team Illusion down and explain the situation to them.

**Kinda blunt, but I think it turned out OK. So how will Eclipso and Crystal's talk turn out? Review and comment, please!**


	33. Chapter 33: Lost Friendship

**Sorry for the wait, folks! I had to get my wisdom teeth pulled out a while ago. Not fun stuff... T.T**

**Anywho, enjoy the new chapter! It's slightly angsty...**

**Team Flame belongs to BlackFlameofPheonix**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 33: Lost Friendship**

Crystal hastily runs down the hallway towards the medical lab. She would only stop to greet her soldiers briefly as she passes by them but her concern for Eclipso is greater. She has completely forgotten about his feelings for her since she was so focused on her predicament. She feels incredibly guilty for hurting him like that. She only hopes that they can still be friends.

Soon Crystal reaches to the lab's door and pauses to catch her breath. She makes a note to herself about making shortcuts around the island so it would be easier not to get lost or tire easily. After she calms down, she takes a deep breath and opens the door. As she walks down the stairs, she hears several voices shouting.

"Eclipso! You shouldn't be doing this!"

"It's not safe!"

"Give me a break! It's been over a millennium since I last did this; it's not gonna kill me anyway!" Eclipso snaps. Crystal immediately becomes concerned as she reaches into the room and sees the exiles huddling around Eclipso. The phantom looks distressed and is carrying something in his hands.

Crystal hastily pushes her way through the crowd but freezes when she sees Eclipso's condition. His eyes have lost their glow and he looks incredibly tired. In his hands are two bottles of vodka that Crystal knew that he must have stolen from someone.

"Eclipso! What on Earth are you doing?" Crystal shouts as she tries to snatch the bottles away. The exiles grimace and back away as the duo exchange a tug-o-war with the items.

"Crystal, let go! You've done enough damage!" Eclipso hisses as he pushes her away. Crystal stumbles back and stares at Eclipso as he narrows his eyes at her. Then he floats over to her and hovers over her menacingly as if he is about to strike her. With his robotic appendages, he looks almost menacing. However, Crystal doesn't even move as she continues to stare up at him. Crystal could smell the phantom's breath and realizes that it is the beverages' effects that are making Eclipso act so irrational.

"Eclipso, please just calm down." Crystal says softly as she reaches for the bottles. The phantom backs away as he continues to glare at her. "You're drunk and you're not thinking properly. Let's talk about this."

The phantom lets out a snort. "Oh, so _now_ you want to talk? After all I've done for you, you would pull this out on me? Crystalline, I thought we raised you better than that! You never turn back on your family! Ever!"

"How is having a relationship with someone a traitorous act?" Crystal demands as her patience begins to slim. She pinches the bridge of her snout before she calms down and sighs. "Eclipso, try to understand. I literally just escaped from the brink of death yesterday."

"As if you haven't almost gotten killed in the last several centuries…" Eclipso snorts. Crystal gives him an offended look. "Excuse me, but I think I almost get myself killed every day for trying to save everyone from Darkstar's reign!" She pokes at his chest. "And that includes YOU!"

"And you think I enjoy the thought of Terotrey hurting you every day? Have you thought about what I felt when I was imprisoned? I could do nothing but think of all the horrific things that he could have done to you!"

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself! You said it yourself!" Crystal protests.

"But that doesn't excuse the fact that you can just start dating a random man that saved you!" Eclipso spat. "Crystal, just how much do you know about this man?"

"Plenty." Crystal crosses her arms. "My past life has-"

"Oh, your past life… Hmm…" Eclipso puts on a show and taps his chin thoughtfully as he sneers at Crystal. "Tell me… Does Zoroark often compare you to your past life?"

Crystal says nothing as she stares up at him with furious and upset eyes. She refuses to let her own favorite guardian talk down to her and make her cry. But hearing someone that she deeply respects sneer down at her makes her feel betrayed and is incredibly degrading.

"Too much? Crystal, use common sense!" Eclipso taps his dome-shaped head in exasperation. "This guy is using you as a replacement for his old girlfriend! If you spend time with him, he might change you into a different person! A stranger!"

Crystal says absolutely nothing although her eyes start to glow dangerously. Eclipso realizes that he must have said too much in his outburst. He hesitates as Crystal continues to glare up at him with shaking fists.

"You know what? Forget it. I don't want to talk about this anymore." Crystal tries to hide back the snarl as she turns away. "I thought that you were better than that, Eclipso. But I guess that you're right about one thing; appearances can be deceiving…"

Eclipso immediately realizes his mistake and panics. He reaches forward and grabs Crystal's wrist. "Crystal, wait! I didn't mean to hurt you like that! I just meant-"

"Eclipso, just stop it. You're speaking out in a jealous rage while in a drunk stupor. If all you are gonna do is insult me and Zoroark, then I don't want to listen."

"But-"

Crystal finally turns to face him. His heart crumples when he sees her disheartened look. "Eclipso, I see you as a big brother. As one of my closest friends. I came down here hoping that we could still be friends. I know that I hurt you by being with someone else but I need to be honest with you. I don't see you as anything other than as family. I'm with Zoroark now. Try to at least be happy that I have someone. But if you can't accept my choice, then it's probably best that we don't speak to each other…"

Suddenly Crystal winces when Eclipso tightens his grip on her wrist. Her eyes widen when she sees his dark aura flaring. His eyes start to glow brightly and he looks enraged. Crystal cries out when he unintentionally sends a dark aura towards her and makes her instantly feel uncomfortable. While she tries to get free, the exiles begin to shout at Eclipso to stop or to calm down.

"No… NO! You can't be with him, Crystal!" Eclipso shouts as he pulls Crystal towards him. The lizard protests and shouts out as he presses her to his hard chest. "I won't let you go! I WON'T!"

"Eclipso, stop!" Crystal cries as a jolt of electricity begins to surge through his overheating form. She panics when she sees one of his arms activating a gun and subconsciously points it at her head. "You're hurting me!"

Fortunately for Crystal, several exiles pull Eclipso away from her and forcefully pin him against the wall while he protests violently. Saberspark forcefully orders Eclipso to calm down while the female exiles hold Crystal back and check her over.

Crystal stares at Eclipso as he begins to calm down. He breathes very deeply and closes his eyes as his aura begins to relax. The exiles are silent as they watch him until Crystal shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Eclipso… But I can't do this anymore…"

Suddenly she turns around and runs out of the cave. The exiles don't try to stop her but cautiously stare at Eclipso. When the phantom finally calms down, he looks around in confusion. When Saberspark explains what had happened, Eclipso grows horrified.

"Oh, no!" He cries as he tries to fly out of the lab. "Crystal! Wait!"

However, he is held back by the exiles. "Let her go. She needs to think." Saberspark murmurs softly. "We told you not to drink again…"

Eclipso blinks before he stares at the two bottles of vodka in his hand. He lets out a shout before he throws them at the wall beside him. The exiles flinch at the impact but remain silent as Eclipso runs his hands through his face and groans. What has he done…?

-ooo-

Crystal runs on all four limbs as far away from Eclipso as she can reach. Tears slowly begin to slide down on her cheeks but she hastily wipes them away. This is the third time that she has ever cried. Only this time she isn't crying out for joy… She is crying out of betrayal and loss.

She ignores the concerned looks that her soldiers give her until she bumps into Team Flame. Inferno stumbles back when she crashes into him and frowns down at her. "Whoa, Crys! Slow down! You might run someone over if you- Wait, are you crying?"

Crystal groans as she pushes Inferno away and resumes running. She ignores Team Flame's calls as she rushes out of the tunnels but stops at the entrance. She sighs as she feels the morning breeze and walks over to the lake. She kneels down and splashes some water onto her face to cool herself. Being near her affinity source always helps her relax. She continues to wash her face until she feels a hand on her shoulder.

"Crys? You OK?" Ribo asks. Crystal turns her head and sees her six closest friends looking down at her in concern. She looks around, sees the other heroes talking to Team Illusion about something, and sighs.

"Crystal, what happened?" Laki instantly kneels down next to Crystal and envelops her into a hug. "You were crying…"

Crystal forces herself to smile and shakes her head. "No, I wasn't…"

"You never were a good liar," Scalene smiles and shakes her head. "Hon, we just saw you running out of the cave looking incredibly upset. We came here to see what's wrong and we didn't tell the others…"

"Wait, is that _blood_ on your arm?" Violet points at Crystal's arm. The lizard looks down and winces when she sees a cut on her wrist. Eclipso must have accidentally cut her with his metallic claws when he went overboard. Violet's sea-green eyes narrow and she looks livid. "Oh, that robot is so dead…"

"No, Violet. Don't-" But it's too late; the female clone is gone.

"Crystal… Do you want to talk about it…?" Rocky asks uncertainly. Crystal shakes her head. "Not right now…"

"Here…" Scalene takes out a medical bandage wrap from a medical kit left at the cave entrance. Then she gently wraps it around Crystal's wrist. "Just tell the others that you cut yourself when you ran out of the cave…"

Crystal smiles. "Thanks…" After Laki and Ribo help her up to her feet, the seven Pokémon walk towards the group. As soon as the others see the small group, their talk ends and Crystal notices that Team Illusion looks tense.

"Crystal, why didn't you tell me that Eclipso harbored feelings for you?" Zoroark demands as he walks up to Crystal with a displeased frown on his face. Crystal pauses before she glares accusingly at the boys. They shrug. "He needs to know…" Raikou mutters.

Crystal then sighs as she looks at Zoroark's expectant look. "I honestly didn't think about it until just now… But the damage has been done…"

Zoroark's annoyed look instantly turns into concern. "What happened?"

"He was so depressed that he drank too much vodka and yelled at me…" Crystal mutters. Everyone instantly put on suspicious looks as they look at Crystal. They see a slight bruise on her temple and a bandage on her cut wrist. "Did he hurt you…?" Arceus asks calmly.

"No…" Crystal lies. "But I don't want to talk to him right now…"

"Should I go talk to him?" Zoroark suggests.

"_No…"_ Crystal shakes her head. "Trust me; you and I are probably the last people he wants to see right now…"

"So what damage has been done?" Midnight asks even though she already knows the answer.

Crystal sighs as she lowers her head and closes her eyes in remorse. "I lost a very good friend…"

No one says anything as Zoroark wraps his arms around Crystal and hugs her tightly. He places a hand on the back of Crystal's head and holds her closely as she silently cries on his shoulder.

**Oh, poor Crystal and Eclipso... I'm debating on what I should do for the next chapter. But I'll think of something...**

**Comment or review!**


	34. Chapter 34: New Allies

**Sorry for the short delay, folks! Things just got hectic at home! Anywho, here's the next chapter. But be warned; there will be lots of more explanations, fights, and a sensual moment at the ending! Otherwise enjoy!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 34: New Allies**

A week has passed by after Crystal's fight with Eclipso. If they have ever found a way to make peace terms with each other, then they have an odd way of showing it. In fact, Eclipso and the exiles have left after their second encounter with Crystal. Saberspark simply stated that they needed to let Eclipso think and that being away from the island would help him calm down. That and they promised to keep an eye out for Darkstar. As they left, Eclipso didn't so much as glance at Crystal. He kept his eyes directly to the ground although the lizard could see the guilt and sorrow in his eyes.

Crystal was more or less upset about their departure. Even though her friends and Zoroark assure her that it isn't her fault, Crystal still feels responsible for putting Eclipso through so much. After all, she is the main reason why they are robots in the first place. She knows the last thing Eclipso wants is more stress. But at the same time, she knows that Eclipso is being too possessive over her. She isn't going to change her beliefs out of pity for her guardian. In time, he will accept her and Zoroark.

Everyone was surprisingly supportive of Crystal and Zoroark's renewed relationship. Even Team Illusion seems happy for their leader. At the beginning, the team was very hesitant around Crystal. Crystal could understand their unease; her past life essentially did betray them. But she has proven that she means no harm to them and promises that she would never hurt Zoroark like she did centuries ago. She and Midnight share information about their beliefs regarding summoning the affinities and seem to have a stable relationship. Crystal could occasionally tease Cotton and Logan about their 'hidden' relationships and seems to be in good terms with them. She would also talk with Zorua about almost anything and adores him like a younger sibling. Team Illusion notices the new change in Crystal; she is much more active, talkative, and confident compared to the Crystal that they knew centuries ago. They agree that it is a much nicer change and that she is good for Zoroark.

Likewise, the heroes think that Zoroark is good for Crystal. Based on how happy Crystal looks, they know that he must be doing something right. As Lacaria has said, Crystal is smart and she doesn't easily fall for people. She looks much more alive every time she is next to Zoroark. Her eyes glow brightly and her skin seems to radiate even brighter. Laki is very happy for her best friend. Rocky, Ribo, and Gallade seem to approve of Zoroark even though they are protective of Crystal as older brothers would. Rocky tends to make perverted jokes that would leave both lovers flustered and Violet tends to give Zoroark a very hard time every time he is affectionate with Crystal. This would usually make Crystal give Violet an even harder time by giving her extra time on patrol. Scalene talked with Zoroark and Crystal privately at separate times and told them of the consequences if they decide to take their relationship to the next level. She even gave them each protection, much to their embarrassment.

Out of everyone, Arceus, Darkrai, Ash, and Raikou are the most supportive of the lovers. Since Zoroark has expressed his soul out to them, they could see how much the fox loves Crystal. It is as pure as any love could possibly get; possibly more than the love between Blackfire and Arceus. Arceus could feel pain in his heart at the thought of Blackfire; her death still plagues him. But the love between his old friend and daughter greatly reminds him of what he used to have with his deceased mate. He knows that Zoroark will care for Crystal and protect her with his life. And he knows that Crystal loves Zoroark just as much and will care for him as well. The boys are happy for the reunited lovers but promised Crystal that they will watch them just for safety precautions.

Although Crystal is grateful for her friends' concern, it is a bit unnecessary. She can take care of herself just fine and she knows that Zoroark wouldn't try anything funny.

But what is strange to everyone is that Darkstar has gone into hiding after he killed Blackfire. Although everyone has a good visual of what he now looks like, it wasn't easy looking for someone who is pretty much a shadow. The Legendaries have decided to spread out to patrol the world to find him while everyone else stays on the island. Only Alpha and Omega possibly know what the demon is up to and Crystal tries desperately to call them in her dreams. But to her disappointment, she realizes that only spirits can call to the living, not the other way around. Zoroark has no luck in calling his commanders either; they are truly on their own this time.

The humans have been generous enough to take most of the captive cybertronic robots under their care. They are currently working on ways to fix the Pokémon but have very little information about the machinery. The demon has outdone himself with his work; he has thought out everything to make sure that no one would see what he is really up to. The heroes even tried to look for the demon inside his Realm, but he is nowhere to be found.

Even though the world is safe for now, the heroes feel very uneasy about one certain thing. They have no idea of what Darkstar is planning to do. They don't have any way to stop him before it's too late. And they are certain that they won't have enough time before another war breaks out.

Crystal would never admit it, but her sixth sense is telling her that something even worse is going to happen. And it would happen very soon…

-ooo-

"This is ridiculous!" Violet hisses as she kicks the dirt on the ground. She snarls as she leans against the cliff and crosses her arms. "We haven't heard anything from Darkstar in a week and we have no plan of action!"

"Patience, Vi," Ribo sighs as he rubs his temples slowly. "We can't plan anything without knowing what we're going up against…"

Violet only groans as she slides down and sits on the ground. She fumes as she glares at the ground. Then she glances up and looks around the valley with narrowed eyes. Only Crystal, her six friends, Raikou, Darkrai, Ash, Zoroark, and Zorua have stayed in the island. Everyone else left to find clues about Darkstar's whereabouts about three days ago. Things have been very quiet with the heroes as they rest on the island under Arceus' request. But the heroes know better; he just wants Crystal to have bodyguards and be protected if Darkstar does return. But they do need some rest after everything they have gone through, so they can't complain.

Crystal sighs as she marks an 'X' over a spot on a map hung on the cliff wall. She rubs her eyes tiredly before she feels a paw placed on her shoulder. She looks up and smiles when she sees Zoroark's soft blue eyes. The other heroes are literally sprawled close to each other as they either talk quietly or gaze up at the night sky. Zorua and Ash let out loud yawns and try to keep their eyes open. Besides them, Laki and Gallade are asleep with the Riolu triplets in their arms. Crystal couldn't help but smile at the adorable sight.

"Why don't we all turn in for the night?" Zoroark asks suddenly. Everyone glances at him questioningly. "We have been at this all day and it is late. We can pick it up tomorrow after breakfast."

"Fine by me." Violet sighs in relief before she floats up and stretches her arms. Then she yawns before she waves to the others. "Night." Without another word, she floats towards the caves. Some of the heroes hesitate before they agree and begin to head towards their private caves. Scalene gently wakes Laki and the Lucario leads Gallade and her children towards their own caves. Raikou, Ash, and Darkrai stare at the lovers before they bid good night and walk over to Crystal's secret cave. Zorua decides to go with the boys since he has grown fond of Ash and Raikou (especially after teasing them.) Soon everyone but the lovers is gone.

Crystal picks up her map and rolls it into a scroll. She is about to walk towards the cave when a paw gently grabs her wrist. She blinks and turns to see Zoroark's tender expression. She raises a brow. He holds a finger over his lips and gestures her to be quiet as he leads her towards the darkest shadows of the cliffs.

Crystal grows curious as the fox leads her into the darkness. She lets out a yelp and drops the map when Zoroark gently pins her against the wall and kisses her lips softly. When he pulls away, he chuckles at her stupefied expression.

"Um… What was that for?" Crystal chuckles nervously. Zoroark smiles as he nuzzles her snout with his own. "Just my way of saying good night."

Crystal couldn't help but flush. "Why drag me into the shadows when you could have easily done that after the others left?"

"Wouldn't want anyone walking in on us," Zoroark says with a playful glint on his eyes. "The last few times we got caught, Violet and Logan wouldn't shut up about it."

That comment makes Crystal fluster even more. She could feel her cheeks burning while Zoroark smiles in amusement. Suddenly he lowers his eyelids almost seductively and moves closer to Crystal. The lizard shivers at feeling his warmth. "Besides, I just want to be alone with you tonight." He murmurs lowly against her lips. He teasingly brushes his lips against her own before he speaks. "No more interruptions… Just the two of us here right now in the dark." He kisses the corner of her mouth before he whispers huskily. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you look, especially during the night time? Your skin glows as bright as the moon does. Probably even brighter."

Crystal shivers at hearing him speak so alluringly to her. She has never felt this excited over anything. She lets out a purr when he gives her a very deep kiss and cradles the back of her head. She lets out a gasp when she feels his tongue gently caressing her bottom lip and asking for entrance. Without any hesitation, she opens her mouth and melts when the fox explores her mouth. Zoroark lets out a groan as he holds Crystal tightly and pins her against the wall. Crystal places one of her hands on his chest and uses her other hand to look for his paw. Their fingers entwine as they engage in their most passionate kiss yet.

Zoroark shivers when her cool hands begin to caress his sides. His warmth against her cool skin is almost like fire dancing with ice; it is exhilarating in an indescribable way. Two opposites that go together in the most beautiful way… He couldn't believe that it would be possible. And yet here they are, engaged in the most intimate way possible.

Suddenly the lovers feel dark energy swarming through their bodies and they break away from the kiss. They frown at each other in confusion. "Did you feel that?" Crystal murmurs.

"Yeah…" Zoroark nods as he narrows his eyes and glances around cautiously. When the dark energy blows through them again, he hisses. "Get behind me…" He holds an arm over her before he closes his eyes and focuses on the aura of the unknown matter. After a moment of concentrating, his mind identifies the aura and his eyes widen in alarm. "No…"

"What? What is it?" Crystal places a hand on his arm and looks at him worriedly.

"Darkstar's follower is here…" Zoroark snarls before he steps backward and pins Crystal against the wall behind him. Crystal yelps at the sudden lack of space and her eyes widen when she feels the wind blowing even harder. "He brought some help too… But for some reason the helper has a Legendary essence…"

"Legendary essence?" Crystal squints. "How is that possible?"

"_Get your hands off her!"_ A deep voice shouts before a shadowy figure tackles Zoroark from the side. Crystal shouts in alarm while Zoroark grunts from the force and tosses the black figure off him. He snarls as his eyes glow red and he begins to attack the unknown intruder. The duo engage in a deadly combat. But due to how dark it is, Crystal couldn't make out who the intruder is. His mind is blocked as well… He must be a psychic.

Before she could rush forward to help her lover, she feels a hand grab her wrist. She lets out a cry and turns to punch who must be the intruder's assistant. The figure yelps in alarm and moves away from the punch.

"Cryssy, knock it off! It's me!"

Crystal freezes in midpunch. She stares at the figure as it walks into the moonlight and reveals itself as a black Grovyle with purple eyes and a split headblade. Her eyes are wide with concern and confusion. Crystal stares back with wide disbelieving eyes. "Lily?"

Then she blinks before she turns to the boys. In the moonlight, she notices that Zoroark is fighting a humanoid bird creature that has glowing maroon eyes. "Raven?" She asks aloud. Then her senses kick into her and she rushes forward. Lily doesn't even stop her as Crystal forcefully pushes Zoroark back from a slightly beaten Raven.

"Crystal, are you insane?" Zoroark demands as he glares down at her. "Why are you stopping me?"

Crystal says nothing before she turns to Raven and stares at him up and down. The creature stares at her incredulously and looks relieved for some reason. "Raven? Is that really you?" She asks cautiously. Zoroark could only stare at Crystal in disbelief while Lily helps Raven up to his feet. The duo smile at Crystal as they brush dirt off themselves.

"Hey, Crys. Long time no see…" Raven puts on a crooked smile as he holds out his arms. Lily smiles as she hugs his arm and stares at Crystal with glowing lavender eyes. Crystal stares at the duo for several moments before she lets out a scream and bolts towards them. She tackles the duo down and hugs them tightly enough to choke them. Zoroark only stares in complete bewilderment. Crystal's scream awakens everyone and forces them to rush outside to see what is going on. But when they see the situation, they only stare in bewilderment.

"Oh, my Arceus! I can't believe that it's you!" Crystal demands as she continues to hug the duo. Raven and Lily somehow manage to pull her away and look down at her. Crystal's eyes are wide with excitement and incredulousness. "Where on Earth have you been?"

Before either newcomer could answer, another feminine shriek erupts the silence and Lily stumbles back when a black and pink Lucario latches onto her tightly. Lacaria begins screaming out of hysteria. "LILY AND RAVEN! OH, MY ARCEUS! IT'S YOU! NO WAY IN HELL! YOU'RE STILL ALIVE AFTER ALL THIS TIME! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"

"… Laki?" Lily sweatdrops as she stares at the suddenly crying Lucario that has her arms and legs wrapped around her tightly. Laki lets out a wail as she squeezes the Grovyle painfully hard.

"Yes, it's me! Dammit, where the hell have you both been?" Laki cries. "Crys and I have been worried sick! We haven't heard from you after our escape! Not one word and we thought that you were dead!"

"Obviously we aren't," Raven snorts as he crosses his arms. Laki glares at him and lets go of Lily so she can give him a punch on the arm. The creature looks amused by her annoyance.

"What is going on here?" Raikou steps up and looks confused. "Who are these people?"

"And why does the male have an aura similar to Darkstar's?" A familiar voice asks. Everyone blinks and looks up. They are startled to see Arceus and several other Legendaries already back from their patrol. Arceus looks suspicious as he lands on the ground and looks at the duo carefully.

Crystal and Laki's smile fade a bit before they glance at each other. Then they look at Lily and Raven. The duo look suspicious. "So it appears that you kept your promise." Raven mutters quietly.

"What promise?" Zoroark asks finally. He looks quite suspicious as much as everyone else does. "What is going on, Crystalline? Who are these two?"

Crystal hesitates before she sighs. "Just promise me that you won't freak out until I completely explain everything…"

"Is it that bad?" Darkrai snorts. Crystal hesitates as she glances at the Legendaries. "… It depends…"

"Well, out with it!" Violet demands impatiently. It is obvious that she is unhappy about being woken up.

Crystal and Laki hesitate before they sigh and look at the duo. When the dark being nod slowly, Crystal looks at the heroes. "Do you remember what I told you about how I was born?"

Everyone nods slowly. Crystal gulps. "Well… There is one small detail that I may have not mentioned…"

"That the _exiles_ didn't mention," Lily cut in curtly. Crystal glances at her questioningly. Lily sighs. "Crystal, I'll explain it from here. There are a few things that you need to know too."

Crystal stares at them before she nods and stands back. The black Grovyle looks at the skeptical heroes and clears her throat. "As Crystal has said, there was one small detail that wasn't mentioned to you guys. When Blackfire was born, she didn't give birth to just Crystal… She had twins."

Lily watches everyone's expression turn into pure shock, disbelief, and confusion. Laki looks a bit surprised while Crystal and Raven remain indifferent. She uses the silence to continue. "It's true; Blackfire had separate fraternal twins. However, she never knew this. She had fainted after the labor. During that time, the exiles were caring for the infants until a familiar demon we all know came to the island."

Crystal raises a brow in suspicion. "Darkstar?" Raikou asks.

"Correct." Lily nods. "Now, he came to the exiles and threatened to take their lives if they didn't surrender the twins. Since the exiles were helpless with no powers to protect them, they instead strike a bargain with the demon. He would take one of the twins while they keep the other twin. The demon agreed and took the older twin away and tried to transform her into his most reliable spy."

Crystal's face turns into one of pure horror and disbelief. Her skin turns pale and she looks like the life was drained out of her. Everyone else didn't look any better. Lily continues.

"For the next several centuries, the exiles have lied to the other twin and Blackfire about producing only one child. They never mentioned the existence of twins. They also agreed to act along in making Blackfire and Crystal think that Darkstar was a different man of the house for the next several centuries. They have felt guilty about giving up one of the twins and vowed to never let any harm come to the second twin. They have never questioned the existence about the other twin…"

Lily lets out a very deep breath before she finally says it. "That first twin was me, Lily. The hidden second child of Arceus and Blackfire. The Yang to Crystal's Ying. The darkness to her light. The second half of her existence. The second person essential to keeping the balance of life intact."

There is absolute silence as everyone stares at Lily for a very long time. Five minutes passes by and no one even moves. Crystal's expression turns into pure disbelief. She stares into space for a long time. Lily notices that her fists and shoulders are shaking. She looks like she wants to speak but no words come out. Her skin is pale and her eyes are dull.

Finally Crystal looks up at Lily with a deadpan look. "You and Raven told me… When we met… That the exiles have taken you to a family… That would watch over you… And protect you… With their lives…"

"It was partially true," Lily sighs as she shakes her head. She gives Crystal a very sympathetic look. "But Crystal… You were too young to understand the situation… How are we supposed to tell you that your favored guardians have given away your twin sister in order to save you and themselves? Especially after we had met?"

"But… Eclipso…" Crystal stares down at her shaking hands with wide eyes. "He… He wouldn't… But… Just like that…?"

"Then what was the truth?" Darkrai demands. His eyes are glowing brightly and everyone could tell that he is enraged. Several of the Pokémon look confused, furious, or deadpan.

"That I did have family to watch out for me in the last few centuries." Lily says calmly. She gestures to Raven. "Raven has taken me in after Darkstar assigned Raven as my personal caretaker."

"Wait… You _work_ for Darkstar?" Zoroark's eyes start to glow red and his shoulders are shaking.

"I _did_. But not anymore." Raven sighs as he places a hand on Lily's shoulder. "You see, Darkstar created me in the same manner that he created his first original spy. We already know that she was Crystal's past life through his private studies." He glances at Crystal. The lizard is too shaken to even comment on his observations. Then Raven continues. "Anyway, Darkstar created a male spy since he believed that his female spy was easily distracted by emotions. For five hundred years I mainly served as his personal servant. Then he came home with an infant in his grasp and simply ordered me to care for her. After a few years, I decided to quit working for Darkstar since his crimes are inconceivable and took Lily away. I raised her on my own until she was capable of fighting for herself. When I found out that she is Blackfire's child, I decided that it would be best to take her back to her mother until we realized that Blackfire already has a child and was lied to about having only one child."

"That was when we met Crystal," Lily cuts in. Raven wraps an arm around her shoulder as she speaks. "We knew that Darkstar would come after Crystal so we decided to tell her about our situation but never told her the truth about why I was taken away. She has accepted the truth easily and promised to never tell anyone about us for obvious reasons. There is no doubt that Darkstar is still looking for us."

"We occasionally visited Crystal whenever she was alone. But one day she and the exiles never came back here. That was when we realized that Darkstar must have taken them hostage. We thought out an escape plan carefully by stealing his realm maps and looking over any important obstacles. Then we took out the prison's power and snuck in to get Crystal out. She stayed behind to give her regards to her mother before we all fled out. Then we confronted Laki at the gates and helped the duo out."

"Then we brought them here and stayed with them until they healed up. After we were convinced that Darkstar hasn't suspected our involvement, we decided to leave to spy on him more. Crystal and Laki agreed to never speak to us or mention us to anyone during our departure. Ever since then, we always stayed on the move in Darkstar's Realm and tried to find out more information about his plans. Lately he hasn't even uttered a word about even his plan to destroy the Hall of Legends; we think that he's planning everything out through his mind. We cannot find any clue that would help us."

"But we came here to warn Crystal and Laki about something very serious." Raven cuts in. "Just a week ago, we have seen Eclipso talking with Darkstar and-"

"Wait, _what_?" Crystal shouts. Her eyes are blazing in suspicion. "Eclipso went to Darkstar? Why?"

"There was something going on with his machinery and only the demon knew how to fix it. However, his plan backfired. He has taunted Eclipso with stories about you that broke his heart into pieces."

"What stories?"

"Of your past life with Zoroark and how he might use you as the replacement." Raven muses. Zoroark couldn't help but snarl viciously. "That he caused the Black Plague and framed him and the others into exile. And the reason why you cannot transform into your true form."

"Reason? What reason?" Crystal frowns and blinks in confusion.

Lily is silent before she sighs. "Crystal, I am going to be serious. When was the last time you or Laki took an x-ray vision?"

"What are you talking about?" Laki squints her eyes suspiciously.

"Surely you have thought about the reasons why you haven't changed physically in the last several centuries?" Raven insists. "Think hard; what would Darkstar do for his experiments? What could he have done to you that would leave you immortal and unchanged in the last few centuries?"

Crystal and Laki think hard as they stare at each other. Then their eyes widen. "No… It cannot be…" Crystal hesitates before she presses a button on her watch and activates an x-ray program. Then she looks around her body. To her horror, she realizes that certain parts of her bones are replaced by metallic machinery. Then she looks at Laki and sees the similar problem on the Lucario. _"Impossible…"_

Lily sighs. "Crystal, you and Laki are cybertronic robots. The first two that Darkstar has ever experimented on. Two experiments that have failed to live up to his expectations."

Laki stares at the x-ray for several moments before she begins to hyperventilate. Gallade supports her while Crystal slowly sits down and stares at the ground warily.

"Enough of this!" Zoroark suddenly shouts angrily. Everyone flinches at his furious tone as he glares at the duo. He points a shaky fist at them. "This is crazy! You expect us to believe that the second child of Darkstar and long-lost sister of Crystal has come here to tell us all of this? That Crystal and Laki have known about this and kept it from us? How dare you!"

"Zoroark…" Crystal pleads desperately, but the fox is too far into his anger to listen.

"You have a lot of nerve just showing up here! How dare you spread these lies to Crystalline? You are sick!" Zoroark is about to strike the duo until Crystal holds him back.

"Zoroark, stop! They are telling the truth! They really are…"

Arceus stares at her in pure disbelief. "How can you be sure?" He asks calmly. He is quite good at hiding his emotions; he is confused, angry, and suspicious as much as Zoroark is feeling.

"You said that Raven's aura is similar to Darkstar's! Why do you think that is?" Crystal challenges. "And look at Lily; she has the same eyes that Mom has! She even has the Legendary essence to prove it! Zoroark said so himself!"

That makes everyone stare at Lily carefully. Sure enough, she has a glow in her eyes that only one other Pokémon has; Blackfire. And she has the powerful aura that the Legendaries have. Arceus almost stumbles back at the shock and confusion overwhelming him.

"But what about the exiles…?" Crystal suddenly looks sad as she looks at Lily. "Is that true as well…?"

"As traitorous and hurtful as their intentions were, they really do care for you, Crystalline." Raven sighs as he places a hand on her shoulder. "I honestly wish that it is anything other than what we have told you-"

"This is seriously f**ked up!" Violet shouts. She pulls the strands of her hair furiously. "This is all a bunch of Tauros s**t! Crystal, seriously what the hell! How can you keep this as a secret from us?" She glares at the Grovyle furiously.

"Hey, don't go blaming this all on Crystal! I knew about their relationship as much as she did!" Laki stands before Crystal protectively. "We promised them that we wouldn't tell anyone else about them because of the rumors that spread around! What if Darkstar found out that another kid of Arceus is running around? That wouldn't exactly be good news for our cause, would it?"

"But Violet is right; we still had the right to know," Rocky crosses his arms and narrows his eyes. "Lily is just as important as Crystal is; she carries a bit of Arceus and Blackfire in her! What would have happened if you were both killed?"

"And how are we sure that we can trust Raven? He is the kid of Darkstar, for crying out loud!" Ash exclaims. Crystal's face turns sour. "Darkstar created me first and you don't seem to have a problem with that! You accept me just fine. And again, no one would have known about Lily if we kept quiet; she would have lived on, reproduced more offspring, and kept the balance of life intact. In the next millennium, no one would ever know who the descendants of Alpha and Omega are for sure!"

"OK, fine." Violet pinches the bridge of her nose irritably. "We understand your reason for not telling us about Lily. We get that. But what I don't understand is why you trust Raven so much."

"He saved me and Laki from certain death and raised my sister and protected her. Isn't that good enough?"

"He worked for Darkstar, Crystal! How do we really know that we can trust him? How do we know that he's only luring us into a trap? He might be like his father!"

"Raven is his own person." Raikou cuts in as he steps beside Crystal. The lizard looks at him in surprise. He narrows his eyes. "Don't mix him up with his father. And as far as I'm told, he hasn't done anything wrong. He only cleans up after Darkstar and didn't necessarily kill anyone." He pauses before he turns to look at the humanoid creature behind him. "Right?" He asks uneasily.

Raven only nods.

"Guys, look." Crystal pinches the bridge of her snout and sighs raggedly. "I'm just asking you to give him a chance. I know him and he's a good guy. Honestly there isn't anyone else I could trust more than I trust him. He has helped me out in so many ways that you wouldn't understand. Raven and Lily can help us with thinking of a plan to stop Darkstar. Don't accuse him of doing something that he has never done. I know that it was wrong of me to keep all this from you, but it had to be done for a reason. And I'm sorry. But right now I am dealing with the fact that the exiles are traitors and that Laki and I are partially robots. Try not to make this any harder than it is."

There is heavy silence as everyone gazes at her. Crystal gazes back at everyone with very weary eyes. Suddenly Ribo sighs. "Fine, we'll do what you ask. You have your reasons." He gives her a very weak smile.

"We'll talk more about this in the morning," Arceus says calmly. Everyone looks at him. How can he look so calm after being told that has a newfound second daughter and that his other daughter is partially cybertronic? "The Legendaries and I need to return to our patrol. Crystal…" He gives his daughter a look that makes her suddenly feel uneasy. "You and I will talk later with your sister. We have much details needed to be discussed." With that said, Arceus floats up with the quiet Legendaries behind him. They disappear into the dark sky.

Then everyone decides to turn in for the night. Crystal offers to share her room with Raven and Lily and is about to lead them to the tunnels when a strong paw pulls her back harshly. Crystal blinks and stares at Zoroark's furious eyes. "We need to talk. _Alone_." He doesn't even say it like it was a choice.

Crystal hesitates before she looks back at Raven and Lily. The duo look suspicious and narrow their eyes warningly at Zoroark. She waves her hand to them. "Ask Laki to show you my room. I'll be back to catch up with some things." She forces herself to smile weakly at them. Honestly the last thing she needs is a fight with her lover, but hopefully she can settle some peace terms with him.

Raven and Lily say nothing as they stare at the lovers cautiously. Laki walks up to them and gently leads them away. She gives Crystal an uneasy smile before she enters the cave with the duo. As soon as they are gone, Crystal turns to Zoroark. She could sense his aura flaring up from rage and sighs. She is not going to fight with him in her own home.

Before Zoroark could say anything, she holds up her watch and presses a few buttons. Zoroark raises a brow. "What are you doing?"

"Taking us to the meadow." Crystal says calmly as soon as she finishes typing in the code. Then she crosses her arms. "That way we can talk. _Alone_." She stresses the word sarcastically. Zoroark snarls until a portal appears beside them. Crystal doesn't say anything to Zoroark as she jumps into the portal. Zoroark waits for a moment before he jumps inside after her.

The duo ride through the long zigzag tunnel until the portal takes them into the middle of the glowing lily forest. Crystal turns as soon as the portal closes. She yelps when Zoroark pins her rather harshly against a tree.

"Crystal, what is going on through your mind?" Zoroark demands as he shakes her. "You are honestly going to go through with this?"

"Zoroark, you know the answer to that." Crystal glares up at him. "When I make my decision, nothing will change it."

Zoroark snarls. "But Crystal, this is serious! You are letting in a man who used to work for our worst enemy! He cannot be trusted! No one stops being Darkstar's follower! No one! When the dark energy overwhelms your aura, it can never be tamed!"

"Raven hasn't done anything wrong as far as I'm concerned! He never hurt anyone and has done so much for me and my sister!"

"But Darkstar created him! He was created to be a spy!"

"So? I was the first spy in my past life!"

"Crystal, use your head and stop being so naïve! Not everyone is as they seem! They will trick you and end up hurting you!"

Crystal stops shouting and glares up at Zoroark. "Oh, am I the naïve one here? Who is the one that fell in love with a foreigner and end up getting killed because of her?"

That was a low blow. Zoroark's face contorts into absolute pain and disbelief. He lets go of Crystal and steps back. Crystal instantly realizes her mistake and covers her mouth in horror. "Zoroark, I'm so sorry… I…"

"No, Crys. You're right." Zoroark mutters as he turns away. He kneels down beside a lily bush and tenderly brushes the petals of a glowing lily. His eyes brim with tears as his throat begins to burn and his heart twists painfully. "Not everything is as it seems… It took me one heartbreak to realize that no one is truly good or perfect…"

He sighs. "I'm the one who should be sorry…" He turns to Crystal with very sad eyes. "I'm scared. I'm scared of what will happen in the future. Something might happen that will separate us. And I don't want to lose you. You mean so much to me, Crystalline. But I'm too possessive for my own good. I'm telling you how to control your life and that is wrong. I just…" He groans as he leans against a tree and slides down. He buries his face into his knees.

Crystal stares down at the fox with tears brimming her own eyes. Then she sighs as she walks over to Zoroark and wraps her arms around his neck. Zoroark shudders. "Z, I understand. I'm scared too. I don't want to lose you either. But whatever comes will come. We just need to make the best out of what we have."

Zoroark says nothing as he looks up at Crystal uncertainly. The lovers share a staring contest for a long time. They can see the pain, fear, distress, and mutual understanding in each other's orbs. Zoroark sighs as he crosses his legs and gestures Crystal to sit on his lap. The lizard does so and the lovers simply just sit and gaze at the glowing lilies together. Seeing the romantic setting calms the lovers a bit and they relax as they rest together.

Zoroark thinks about Crystal's statement carefully. He knows that she is right; whatever will happen will eventually come. Not even Dialga will change the timeline to prevent it. All the heroes can do is hope and pray for the best. But in order for them defeating Darkstar, then they will need to get as much help as possible. Even if it is from his own son.

Zoroark then thinks about her last comment. She has a point; they need to make the best out of the remaining time they have. They have no idea how long it would take before Darkstar strikes again. If that happens, then there is a chance that they will lose so many people. And Zoroark doesn't want this fight to be the last thing that he remembers about Crystal. For all he knows, this could be the last night that they would share alone. He needed to change it into something that they would cherish forever.

Then one idea comes to his mind and he flushes a bit. There is silence until Crystal suddenly feels Zoroark nuzzling his face against her neck. She blushes at the affectionate gesture. "Z? You OK?"

Zoroark doesn't reply before he begins to place gentle kisses on her neck. He holds Crystal closely as he continues his work. His warm touch and kisses makes Crystal subconsciously crane her neck to give him better access. She involuntarily lets out a moan when he touches a very sensitive spot.

She lets out a startled gasp when he turns her around and gently pins her down onto the soft grass. She abruptly sits up. "Zoroark, what are you doing?" She asks uneasily.

"Shh… Just relax." He murmurs as he gently lays her back down. He lies down on top of her and gives her a very deep kiss. Crystal almost completely melts when Zoroark performs a tongue tango with her and holds her body close to him. But when he bites down on her neck, she yelps and grows tense.

"Zoroark, wait!" Crystal protests. " I'm not ready for this! We can't! Not yet!"

"Crys…" Zoroark's voice turns hoarse with need and love. Crystal feels thrilled just by hearing him speak so sexily to her. But when he looks up at her with glowing lustful sapphire eyes, she shivers. "Please…"

"But Z, we-"

"Crystalline, we really don't know what might happen in the future. If we wait, then we will be too late." He caresses her cheek fondly and kisses her lips softly. "Crystal, you have no idea how long I have wanted this… Even in your past life, we have never gone this far…"

Crystal couldn't help but blush. "So we were both…?"

Zoroark nods. "I have literally waited for over two millenniums to be with you again… And I want every moment together to be special…"

Then his paws begin to slide lower to her back. Crystal gasps as he massages her thighs tenderly and shivers at feeling his heat overpowering the cool evening.

"Crystal, I want you so badly…" He kisses her brow and trails down to her cheek to her chin to her neck. "I want to be with you in every way as much as possible…"

"Z…"

"I want to make love with you, Crystal. You are so beautiful; I can't stand the thought of not being with you. I want to cherish this moment with you for eternity. "He drops his voice huskily as he gently nips at her neck. "Share this night with me…"

Crystal couldn't help but admit to herself that Zoroark was very persuasive. And whenever he drops his voice, she found it difficult to say no to him. She could feel something deep in her heart telling her that this is what they both needed to be complete. They need each other in order to be full again. They need to share every experience with each other as much as possible.

Crystal lets out a breath. "I… I'm yours, Zoroark. I will always be yours."

Zoroark's eyes glisten in joy and pure love before he kisses Crystal deeply. The lovers take their time to enjoy every single moment with each other. They share every touch, kiss, and movement as their utmost passion fills in the whole night.

**Chapter is longer, but that's OK! Crystal and Zoroark are finally together! Tell me what you think! Comments would be appreciated!**


	35. Chapter 35: Dreams and Nightmares

**Hey, everyone. Sorry for the delay, but I got caught up with a new fun hobby and helping out with my family more... **

**Here's a new chapter, but first I'd like to point out a few things. Remember at the beginning, the humans could understand the Pokémon because of digital translator collars? Well, I forgot to mention how they can understand Team Illusion since they don't have collars. Reshiram and Zekrom brought them back to life, they decided to give the five the gift to speak to anyone. Just felt like pointing that out.**

**Secondly, I want to see more comments. I'd really appreciate to know what the readers think of this story. You say that it's good, but I want you to elaborate on how 'good' is. The story will end somewhere at the late thirties or early forties so I wanna see more support and comments!**

**Thirdly, I've decided to let everyone write stories for **_**'New Divide'**_**. But there are restrictions; one, give credit of the OCs to either me or Glory For Sleep depending on who they belong to. Don't change them up otherwise you ruin the characters. Two, ask so I know who is writing the story. Three, no sequels; **_**New Divide**_** will end but have no sequel to continue it on. Misadventures of the OCs are fine and prequels might be acceptable. Ask me or Glory depending on what those stories are time wise.**

**Fourth, the offer of accepting OCs into this story is over. I thank BlackFlameofPheonix, Airman0007, and Glory for Sleep for letting me use their OCs on this story. They really helped out a lot and I appreciate it.**

**Fifth, the whole credit for this sequel goes to Glory for Sleep. She was very generous enough to let me carry on with this sequel and we are both happy about how this story is turning out. I cannot possibly thank her enough for letting me do this; GFS, you're the best! **

**Sixth, I've decided that at the end of every chapter, I am going to foreshadow events of what happens in the next chapter. However, I need tips or suggestions as to what should happen. Although I got the story plot planned out, I need some tips on how to get certain events! It would be appreciated! I also noticed that the story is getting to the point of being in Crystal's POV when it should really be more about Ash, Raikou, and Darkrai. I'll be trying to get it back into their POV since this story stars mainly them after all.**

**Other than those concerns, enjoy the next chapter!**

**Random statements, but I really think that Gary Oldman would voice Terotrey/Darkstar well. I can't decide if Jack Black or Matthew Broderick could voice Raikou well either.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 35: Dreams and Nightmares**

Raikou inhales deeply as the morning breeze gently blows through his fur. He closes his eyes and smiles slightly as he enjoys the peaceful tranquility. The sun rises over the horizon and the thunder tiger could feel the warmth of the morning rays brushing through his body.

Because the sun is still rising, it still looks like nighttime in the island since the cliffs are blocking the sunlight. As such, it is a little cold down in the valley so Raikou decides to climb up to the top of the cliffs to relax. He has awoken just a little while ago due to a nightmare. At first, he thought that Darkrai or Violet has pulled a prank on him, but there are a few problems to that accusation. Firstly, the duo have to be awake when they give nightmares; they were asleep right when he woke up. Secondly, they wouldn't give him nightmares for the sake of it; he hasn't pranked on them or given them any reason to be angry with him. Thirdly and most importantly, this nightmare was different.

Instead of a normal nightmare where one would experience bloody massacres or painful losses, Raikou couldn't determine what exactly the dream was about. There was a hidden message behind it but he couldn't say why. So instead of trying to worry about the nightmare, Raikou decides to go out to clear his mind. He carefully walks past his Legendary comrades (who returned from their patrol and promptly fell asleep) near the lake and walks through the valley. He isn't sure if Arceus has told the Legendaries about Lily and Raven; they seem pretty calm and quiet when they came home. Raikou glances at his allies and smiles briefly before he walks up the cliff and spends a few minutes enjoying some quiet time.

"I didn't think that you were a morning person…" A voice comments. Raikou snaps his eyes open and stands up to turn around. His wide eyes catch the sight of Darkrai floating before him with a bemused expression and arms crossed. Then he relaxes and shrugs. "I could say the same thing about you."

Darkrai snorts. "Touché. I never miss out a chance to see the sunrise…"

Raikou blinks. "The great Legendary of nightmares is a fan of sunrises?" He raises a brow. Darkrai scowls and glares at the tiger. "Tell anyone and I will kill you in your sleep…"

Raikou doesn't look affected and just smirks. He is used to the phantom's pointless threats. "Don't worry; I won't tell anyone…"

The duo finally relax as they stand side by side and watch the sunrise together. They are silent as they enjoy the silence and breathe deeply as the wind continues to blow through their bodies. Then Darkrai glances at Raikou and sees a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. It's almost like he is trying to force himself into relaxing. "There's something on your mind." He states.

Raikou doesn't look at Darkrai. He keeps his eyes solely onto the sunrise. "No there isn't."

Darkrai snorts and shakes his head before he turns to look at the tiger fully. "Kid, you and I have been working together only Arceus knows how long. And we have been best friends for a while; I know when something's bothering you. You will go somewhere alone to think to yourself. You also grow tense and your eyes show your concern when something is really bugging you. So speak up; what's going on in your mind?"

Raikou's shoulders droop in defeat. He smiles a bit weakly as he glances at Darkrai finally. "Am I that predictable?"

"Answer the question."

Raikou sighs before he sits down. Darkrai raises a brow; whenever the tiger sits down, he usually makes himself comfortable before he expresses his thoughts. Very deep thoughts at that. Thoughts that make the young jokester uncomfortable and even unsure how to handle.

"I had a nightmare last night." Raikou murmurs finally. He stares at the sunrise as he waits for Darkrai to say something. He could sense the phantom tensing slightly. He gives Darkrai a small smile. "I know that you didn't do it."

"What was it about?" Darkrai raises a brow.

Raikou hesitates and shrugs. "I don't really now… It was more like a hidden message…"

"Elaborate…"

Raikou sighs before he speaks. "At the beginning, there was nothing. Suddenly I was in a very beautiful meadow- I thought at first that it was the Valley of Origins. There were so many Pokémon roaming by that look so happy; it was like living in a world where no evil could ever strike. But then a voice behind my ear spoke to me; it said the words 'Be prepared…' I turned and saw everything bursting into flames. Everything turned chaotic and it was horrible; so many innocent lives were dying and so many Pokémon lost so many things…"

Raikou gulps before he continues. "Then I see Blackfire and Arceus. A weapon is aimed at Arceus but Blackfire took that hit for him. She was dying in a large pool of blood that wasn't even hers, but in the blood of other dead Pokémon. The strange thing is that Blackfire's eyes weren't purple; they were gold. Arceus cried and pleaded for Blackfire to live. Then the vision changes and show Arceus shedding seven tears. Seven tears fall down to the ground and they transform into seven different colored orbs. Those seven orbs circle around each other before they form into one large glowing orb. Then that orb transforms into the shape of Earth. It looks as if Earth is starting a new beginning; the beginning for new life."

Raikou closes his eyes and hangs his head. "Then I wake up."

There is absolute silence save for the gentle howling of the wind. Neither Legendary says anything for a while although Raikou is eager for Darkrai's answer. Surely the phantom knows of what is going on; he and Cresselia are masters of dreams! Shouldn't they know the message of each dream?

But when Darkrai says nothing, Raikou sneaks a glance at him. The phantom is staring down at the edge of the cliff with narrowed eyes. He looks unsure and thoughtful himself. After several minutes of waiting, Raikou speaks. "What do you think?"

"Kid…" Darkrai's voice sounds strained before he looks up at the tiger. "I cannot say for sure about what you just told me. I don't know if it is a vision or just a dream."

"But… Aren't you and Cresselia the masters of dreams?" Raikou's face falls and he tilts his head in confusion. "Surely you know the meaning behind all dreams!"

"We know the meaning of the dreams that _we_ make, not the ones that come and go." Darkrai shakes his head. Then he sighs deeply. "Kid, it's been a very long week for all of us. We are dealing with a lot of stuff right now. I'm sure that this nightmare is just that; a nightmare. It might have no meaning."

"But what if it does?" Raikou says cautiously.

Darkrai pauses before he sighs again. "And if it does, then there's nothing we can do to stop whatever's happening. We just need to be prepared for what we do know."

Raikou frowns. This hasn't necessarily helped him with his concern at all; he is certain that his dream has a deeper meaning as to what might happen. If even Darkrai doesn't know what it could mean, then it could be something big. But he decides that the phantom is right; everyone already has too much to deal with. The last thing he needs is getting worked up over a dream that he doesn't even know what it could mean.

"Which means we're gonna have to tell the others about Raven and Lily as soon as they're up." Darkrai yawns and cranes his neck to pop certain joints. He lets out a satisfied groan before he turns side to side and pops his sides.

Raikou blinks before he grimaces. "This isn't gonna end good, you know that?"

"Not everything ends with happily ever after or lollipops and candy, kid." Darkrai mutters. Raikou frowns deeply. "I mean, look at Crystal. She lost her mother, lost the respect of her favorite guardian, and has gone through a hard childhood."

"But some good came out of it." Raikou points out defensively. "She has a good group of trustworthy friends that will protect her with their lives. She has a boyfriend that loves her devotedly. And she still has the support of the Legendaries, Arceus, and her grandparents. I mean, yeah she had a few major ups and downs, but so does everyone else. She's strong enough to not let anything get her down."

"She's like her father," Darkrai states. His eyes glow a bit and soften. "She's a really good kid."

"She's come a long way." Raikou nods. "I think we all have."

"But we still have a way to go before anything's finished." Darkrai gives Raikou a pointed look. The tiger says nothing. He knows that Darkrai is implying that it will take a long time to defeat Darkstar. But the tiger knows that somehow, that time will eventually come.

They just need to wait.

"I'm starving…" Darkrai suddenly states as he scratches his back. "Let's go back and get some breakfast; we have a long day ahead of us…"

Raikou only nods and is about to turn to leave when something catches his eye. He pauses and squints as a cloud in the sky has a hint of black and dark red in it. It contrasts greatly to the purple and dark blue colors, especially since it is so close to the sunrise. Raikou could have sworn that he has seen red glowing eyes on the cloud. But as soon as he sees the cloud, it fades into the colorful sunrise.

"You coming, kid?" Darkrai calls over his shoulder.

Raikou glances at Darkrai and nods. The phantom resumes floating down the stairs while Raikou glances back at the sky. He frowns deeply and suspiciously before he slowly begins to walk down the stairs after his best friend.

-ooo-

Darkrai and Raikou groan as soon as they meet Violet. The clone has started drama- again- and stated that Zoroark and Crystal are gone- _again_. She has woken everyone up and demands for a search party until Lily and Raven state that the lovers have gone out for a talk. All the heroes look baffled and confused by seeing the newcomers until Arceus explains the whole situation to everyone. When he finishes, Raikou's close allies instantly start trouble by trying to attack Raven and are incredibly suspicious about Lily. Ribo and Deoxys decide to end the argument by performing DNA tests between Arceus and Lily and confirm that the black Grovyle is indeed the God's second child. They also use their telepathy and find out that Raven is truthful when he says that he has no intention going back to working for his father; he is loyal to Lily and Crystal through and through.

But Ribo makes the mistake of slipping out the discovery that the duo are lovers. Trouble brews again until Laki and Arceus calm the situation down. The God is surprisingly neither supportive nor mutinous about the thought of his child courting the son of his worst enemy. His statement 'Please do not make me a grandfather anytime soon' seems to say it all. Laki is ecstatic about the news and is happy for her friends. Most of the heroes are still distrustful for the newcomers but decide to try to give them a chance mainly for Crystal's sake.

The whole situation has taken most of the morning and afternoon to sort out. Darkrai and Raikou simply sit back and let the whole thing pass through. No one seems to notice that they barely said anything or gave out their input. The duo simply sat together and ate a basket full of berries for breakfast and lunch. They have already made their decision; if Crystal can trust the duo, then so can they.

But when it reaches down to five in the evening, everyone grows concerned when Zoroark and Crystal don't return. Violet is just about to burst a vein had Ribo and Laki not calmed her down. The psychic somehow magically made Violet stay down and relax after he made her a cup of hot chocolate. The heroes have a hunch that Ribo may be crushing on the clone after her makeup, but they keep their thoughts to themselves.

Right at this time, the exiles return from their trip. Eclipso seems to have calmed down and looks somewhat better. There is a hint of sadness and guilt in his eyes, but it is barely noticeable. At least he seems to accept the thought of Crystal dating someone else. After the exiles greet the heroes and confirm that they haven't seen Darkstar, Eclipso asks, "Where is Crystal?"

Laki's ears droop as she hesitates. "She's… Out."

"With Zoroark! And they've been gone all night!" Violet throws her hands up and begins to act irrational until Ribo holds her back. Eclipso's eyes darken a bit and his body turns tense. Darkrai glares at Violet. Damn woman.

Then he finally decides to speak for the sake of easing his brother's unease. "I'm sure that they just got held back by something… They'll come back. It's been only one day anyways."

Eclipso says nothing as he stares at his brother quietly. Then he slowly nods.

Suddenly a portal appears beside the lake. The heroes snap their heads and see two figures jumping out of the portal. When they see Zoroark and Crystal, they all sigh in relief. Violet wastes no time in floating over to Crystal and scolding her. The heroes shake their heads; Violet really is too protective for her own good.

Eclipso's eyes brighten the moment he sees Crystal. He notices that she looks a lot happier than usual and wonders how Zoroark made her look as such. Then he floats over to Crystal and braces himself. He has spent days thinking of an apology for Crystal and hopes that she still wants to be friends. He knows that Crystal is old enough to make her decisions and he wants to prove that he can let her go and accept her choices. He wants Crystal to know that she and Zoroark have his blessing.

"Wait a moment… Crystal, what's that smell?" Violet suddenly asks. The clone makes a show by sniffing the lizard and frowns. "You smell like a wet dog. Hell, Zoroark, you smell like one too! What were you two doing?" Violet places her hands on her hips.

Suddenly Crystal and Zoroark glance at each other and turn a deep shade of red together. Violet figures it out and her eyes turn so wide that they threaten to bulge out of their sockets. "No… Way… Holy f-"

But Violet's words are gone as Eclipso turns suspicious. But as soon as he floats close enough, his nose catches an unusual scent and he tries to identify it. Because of his robotic appendages, he can essentially identify any smell. He sniffs at it and his eyes widen. He could smell sweat radiating from the duo even though they purposely tried to wash themselves. It is obvious that they cleaned themselves. But how did they get so worked up and why were they trying to hide it?

Then Eclipso could feel every fiber in his soul freeze when a new scent hits him. Arousal. From both creatures. It is so obvious and the lovers' reaction to Violet's question makes sense now.

Eclipso could feel something in his throat tightening as small chunks of his heart begins to shatter piece by piece. His eyes are wide and filled with pure disbelief and horror as he stumbles back into a startled Saberspark. His breathing is short and he looks like he is suffering through a seizure.

Crystal and Zoroark notice the phantom and their faces turn into panic and fear. Crystal reaches forward quickly. "Eclipso! How much did you hear?" Violet also turns around and her eyes widen in panic, guilt, and fear for the lovers.

Saberspark and Darkrai try to keep Eclipso up as he begins to hyperventilate. Suddenly one of his eyes sheds a tear and he raises a shaky finger at Crystal. "You and him… Have done it…"

"Done what?" Raikou asks as he and the other heroes walk up to the scene. They instantly look concerned when Eclipso begins to tremble.

"You both have mated?" Eclipso's voice is a hoarse whisper as he stares at Crystal with eyes full of despair and rejection.

There is heavy silence as everyone finally realize what the phantom has said. Finally Violet shouts, "YOU BOTH HAD SEX! OH, MY ARCEUS!" She throws a fit and runs towards the lake to wash off her hands. Crystal couldn't help but roll her eyes at the clone.

Lily stares at Crystal for a long time and holds a grave look on her face. "Is this true?"

Crystal is silent as she stares at her twin. Then she glances at Zoroark before she meekly nods.

Everything started happening all at once. Everyone was asking random questions and Crystal couldn't keep up with what most of her friends were asking.

"Are you crazy! You're still too young!"

"Didn't you guys use some sort of protection? What if you get pregnant?"

"You didn't have sex all day, did you?"

"Dude, how does that even work between a lizard and a fox?"

"Did you try doggy style?"

This last question puts everyone off. The heroes give Rocky horrified looks. "ROCKY!"

"_What_? Just curious." Rocky shrugs innocently. Crystal is sure that she and Zoroark's faces almost look like tomatoes. They are so embarrassed and upset that they have been caught so soon.

"Crystalline…" Arceus' voice is strong and almost disapproving. The heroes flinch at his powerful tone. "You know that it is against the code of the Legendaries to mate…"

"But I'm not a Legendary!" Crystal protests. She pauses. "Technically speaking. I was never in the council in the first place. That rule has no effect on me."

Arceus looks unamused. "Crystalline… I have expected better from you and Zoroark." He glares at Zoroark. The fox looks almost guilty and hangs his head. "Especially from you, Zoroark. I thought that you both would have a bit more of responsibility and waited…"

"Wait for how long?" Crystal asks defiantly. "Until the war ended? Or until one of us dies?"

Arceus glares down at his daughter. "Do not raise your tone with me, young lady! Do not forget that I am your father!"

"A father that I never knew about until recently!" Crystal snaps back. Arceus steps back a bit with a look of disbelief and outrage on his face. The heroes gape at Crystal in disbelief. She is seriously going to step up to the God of all Pokémon?

"I am not sure if you are aware of this, _Dad_," Crystal sneers at the word. "But I've been taking care of myself since I was about five-hundred years old. I never had anyone to care for me; I fought to get what I have today! I am not a little girl anymore so you need to start remembering that! I am old enough to make my choices and I could care less if you are happy with them or not! If you want to talk to me about my sex life, then talk with me as if I am an adult instead of scolding me for something that I will never regret doing!"

She takes a deep breath before she looks up at her father. He is frozen from shock. "Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go sort things out with the exiles. Alone." Without another word, Crystal turns away and opens a portal. She turns to the exiles expectantly. "Move!"

The cybertronic Pokémon are still shocked by Crystal's outburst but hastily move when she yells at them. They scramble into the portal and forcefully drag a quivering Eclipso with them. Crystal smiles a bit at a stunned Zoroark before she jumps into the portal and disappears.

Meanwhile, Arceus is tense and still from shock. Never in all of his life as a God has someone spoken to him so vulgarly!

Finally the tense silence is shattered when Zoroark walks up to Arceus. He slowly puts a paw on the God's leg. "Arceus, don't worry about what Crystal said. She means no harm by it."

Arceus glances down at Zoroark with blank orbs. After several minutes of silence, he lets out a quiet sigh. "We all overreacted. I am just shocked that you both went ahead and just did it."

"It would have happened either way." Darkrai muses softly. He is shocked yet impressed by Crystal's bold move. He slowly floats up to the God. "You know Crystal; she will do whatever she wants and she won't hesitate to fight for it."

"Yes, but my daughter and old friend…" Arceus lets out an involuntary shudder. "I can't and most certainly _do not_ want to visualize that…" Zoroark doesn't look offended; he merely nods in understanding.

"No one wants to visualize their kid having sex." Raikou comments. "That's like trying to visualize Darkrai and Cresselia-" He stops when the dream Legendaries give him evil glares. The tiger sweatdrops. "Never mind…"

Suddenly Arceus looks down at Raven and Lily expectantly. His eyes flash warningly. "You two haven't gone that far, have-"

It's a surprise to see the dark creatures flushing a bit as they hastily shake their heads. "No!"

Arceus smiles. "Good."

-ooo-

"Crystal… Why?" Eclipso's voice is full of despair as he stares at the sea with his back facing Crystal. After everyone has jumped out of the portal, Crystal decides to take them to a private spot on the beach not too far from the island. That way they wouldn't be too far from home and they can listen to her.

Crystal lets out a shaky breath as she walks up to Eclipso. Her outburst to her father has made her feel both embarrassed and shocked. She knows that as soon as she returns home, she will go through hell. But what she is concerned about at the moment is Eclipso. She could feel his sorrow radiating from his soul and she realizes that his heart is broken all over again. He has just returned from calming down from his depression and she made him upset all over again…

Crystal sighs. "E, I didn't want you to find out like this. I-"

"Find out? You were planning to tell me? When? A few days after you broke my heart?" Eclipso snaps. Crystal flinches at his suddenly cold and sour tone. "That's cruel of you, Crystalline…"

"Would it be better had I not told you at all?" Crystal demands. Eclipso growls. "It would have probably been better had you not returned at all!" Crystal stumbles back from his outburst with a hurt look on her face. Eclipso lets out a ragged breath and pinches the bridge of his nose. Finally he speaks. "Crystalline… Do you know why I left the island in the first place?"

"To think about things." Crystal responds quietly.

"And do you know what I was thinking about?" Eclipso challenges. When Crystal doesn't respond, he continues. "About you. I thought about what would be good for you. I didn't know what would happen if I let you date Zoroark. We all barely know the guy; as a guardian, I should be permitted to be protective of you! But I decided that if it was what you wanted, then I shouldn't stop you. I spent the last few days deciding if I should let it go and leave you be, but I don't want you to be out of my life. It would be selfish of me. Then I decided that your happiness should be my main priority and came back today to talk with you. I wanted to let you know that you and Zoroark had my blessing and prayed that we could still stay as friends. I love you, Crystal. I really do want what is best for you."

Crystal's eyes soften as she stares at Eclipso's form. She knows that he is being genuine with his words and is relieved. But then Eclipso's voice darkens. "But when I find out that you two mated, everything came crashing down. After I decided to let you go, I find out that you sleep with someone else. Just as I thought that we could take things slow for all of us, you decide to jump ahead and hurt me again."

Crystal's expression is horrified. "You think I slept with Zoroark because I wanted to get back at you for hurting me in the lab?"

"Hurting _you_?" Eclipso scoffs. "Crystal, this isn't just about you; it's about all of us. You saw how your father reacted; he didn't like the idea of his daughter sleeping with her boyfriend. How do you think the news affected all of your friends? How it affected _me_?" He finally turns around and Crystal's eyes widen when she sees tears falling down from his only real eye. "Crystal, I have wanted to be in a relationship with you for a long time. When I found out that you are already mated, I knew that it was too late for me. What you and Zoroark have done will never change; you're mates for life. I will never have a chance to be with you."

Crystal suddenly looks suspicious. "You hoped that Zoroark and I would split up? Just like that?"

Eclipso doesn't answer her question and his eyes turn damp. "Crystal, you have no idea how much I wanted to be with you physically and emotionally. But knowing that I will never have that chance… It's too much for me to handle. I don't think this will work out."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I mean that we can't see each other again." Eclipso's eyes turn sympathetic when he sees Crystal's face crumple in disbelief. "I'm sorry, Crystal. But loving you hurts too much. There's no point in fighting for something that you will never win."

Just as Eclipso is about to turn and leave, Crystal steps up and grabs his shoulder a bit roughly. This action makes something in Eclipso snap and he begins to feel pain in his chest and brain. Soon it becomes hard to breathe and he is gasping for air as Crystal begins to scold him. "Eclipso, don't you dare walk away from me! You told me not to run from my problems and I am not going to let you go like that! I'm sorry that I hurt you, but you're gonna hurt us both if you just leave!"

Crystal doesn't realize that the other exiles turn stiff and suddenly their bodies turn still and lifeless like statues. Crystal moves in front of Eclipso and shakes his shoulders. "Don't cry, Eclipso! It's not gonna fix anything!"

Suddenly Eclipso's expression turns deadpan and he stares off into space as his body turns still. Crystal waves her hand in front of his face but he doesn't react. She snaps her fingers and lightly slaps his cheek but he still doesn't respond. Her annoyance and anger quickly diminishes as worry strikes her. "Eclipso?"

Then she looks at the exiles and sees that they have a similar response. She panics and tries to snap the exiles out of their petrified positions but nothing works. "Say something!" She demands. Just as she is about to call the heroes for help, a black blast hits her watch and smashes it into pieces. Then evil laughter erupts in the darkness. Alarmed, Crystal looks up and her eyes widen when she sees a dark smoky substance floating towards her from the sea.

"_**Well, well, well… It looks like the little princess is having trouble with her little world…"**_

Crystal's eyes narrow. "Darkstar."

Soon the ball of gas shows two glowing red eyes and the malicious demon smiles pleasantly.

"_**I must admit that our last encounter ended quite unexpectedly. Blackfire really didn't deserve her fate…" **_His smile fades a bit before he shrugs. _**"People do really stupid things out of love…"**_

"Don't you dare insult my mother like that!" Crystal snarls as he points a finger at the demon. "She's dead because of you!"

"_**I'm not here to mourn her death with you…"**_ Darkstar shakes his form before he smiles slightly. _**"I see that you are having trouble with your second boyfriend-"**_

"Eclipso is _not_ my boyfriend!" Crystal shouts in frustration. "He's my guardian!"

"_**That's not what his mind says…"**_ Darkstar sneers. _**"I could practically hear his mind screaming about his desire for you… It's a wonder why he hasn't just taken you after I suggested him to do so."**_ He floats over to the still phantom and pats his arm gently_** "His strong will can fight off his robotic side. I will have to make a mental note about that detail later…"**_

Crystal instantly looks suspicious. "You talked with him?" Suddenly Lily's explanation earlier flashes through Crystal's mind and her eyes glow. "You did something to him… You still have control over his robotic appendages…" Then realization hits her and her eyes widen. "So it was _you_ that made him lash out at me earlier!"

Darkstar raises a brow. _**"I have no control over how any of my robots feel… I only programmed them to follow my orders regardless of how they feel. Irrational anger and violence are usually the side effects that they have shortly after they are transformed."**_

Crystal frowns. "Then Eclipso hurt me on his own? Why haven't you tried anything if you knew you had control over him and the other exiles?"

"_**They are hopelessly outnumbered by your friends and the Legendaries if you are all together."**_ Darkstar shrugs carelessly. _**"I couldn't let them know of my advantage. Besides, I had to get to you alone somehow…"**_ Suddenly he smiles evilly. _**"But it looks like we are alone now…"**_

Crystal's eyes widen in alarm as she backs away. She tries to press a few buttons on her watch but the damaged machine only splutters out sparks of electricity. Crystal could feel her heart pounding in anxiety and panic. She is in trouble and she has no way to call for help. The heroes are too far away to hear her if she screams. She knows that she can't take on Darkstar and the exiles if he decides to possess them.

Her only option is to run.

Without a second thought, Crystal turns on her heel and bolts through the beach. Darkstar's eyes flash. _**"Stop her!"**_ He shouts.

Suddenly Saberspark steps forward and tackles Crystal back. The lizard yelps at the painful force and groans as she sits up. She looks up at the thunder tiger in disbelief. "Saberspark!"

Then Crystal notices that all of the exiles' eyes are glowing a dark shade of red. Her heart stops. This is not good…

She cries out when she feels strong hands grabbing her shoulders and pinning her down to the sand. Her eyes widen when she sees Eclipso hovering over her with a malicious glint in his otherwise deadpan eyes. Behind him, Darkstar's eyes flash in glee.

"_**As you can see, Crystalline, the exiles are under my full control. Eclipso has given into his emotions and will not easily be talked to. I have programmed him into following any of my orders and he and the others will do anything I say."**_

Then Darkstar smirks as he leans closely to Eclipso's face. _**"Do what you desire with her. Express how much you feel for her."**_

Crystal's eyes widen in horror. Darkstar is essentially ordering Eclipso to rape her! She needs to get out of here! She struggles against the phantom's grasp and shouts, "No! Eclipso, don't do this!"

"_**It's too late now, Crystalline… You can't get out of this battle."**_ Darkstar smirks and floats back as Eclipso begins his work. The phantom presses his form against Crystal and he begins to kiss her neck down to her chest. Crystal's eyes glisten with tears as she pleads for help from the exiles. But the exiles do nothing but watch the scene with blank eyes.

Soon things turn worse and Darkstar laughs gleefully as he watches Crystal suffer emotionally and physically. Her agonized screams and pleas are unheard as Eclipso continues his attack under Darkstar's command. The situation becomes more troublesome when rain pours heavily down on the group and thunder roars through the skies.

**And there you have it… Take a guess as to what the torture is. This is the next turning point that leads to more trouble. That trouble is the next and final war. The end is coming soon; dangerously soon…**

**How was it? I like the talk that Darkrai and Raikou had. The rest turned out good too. Leave comments, please!**


	36. Chapter 36: Angst and Pain

**New chapter! Sorry for the long wait, guys! Christmas was busy yet wonderful! I got a new IPhone, a kindle, a new car, and Photoshop cs3! I'm looking for a job and used the free time to improve the bios of all my OCs in my Deviantart account! Also, the government has been debating on passing the SOPA bill; if it does, then fanfiction and Deviantart will be deactivated! Do whatever you can to stop SOPA!**

**Before we get started, there's one more note I should point out. The Jewel of Life has been hiding with the Lapras twins after Crystal was revived. There is a better explanation as soon as you read the chap!**

**Other than that concern, enjoy the new chapter! But warning; there is angst.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 36: Angst and Pain**

Laureen hums cheerily as she places an abandoned antique on a display windowsill. She smiles slightly as she carefully turns it to face the window. It was an old grandfather clock that has been lost to the sea along with the cruise ship where she found it in. Laureen and her twin sister have gotten a lot of hidden treasure out of the ship; treasure that they can use to help with their business. The lost money helped them pay for an upgrade in their jewelry store.

Laureen smiles as she swims towards the counter while her sister wipes some smog off the window. She swims through a cavern that leads to their storage room and pulls out a box of small various shells. She is about to swim out of the cave when a glowing object catches her eye. She peers over a hidden corner and sees a green orb glowing brightly behind a purple shell.

Laureen smiles slightly at the objects. The great creators of the world have called the Lapras twins (courtesy from Crystal, of course) and asked them to keep the objects hidden underwater. The heroes believe that Darkstar wouldn't think that the objects would be hidden in the sea and think that it would be fine that the duo would keep them in a hidden area. The Lapras were honored by the opportunity and promised Arceus that they would protect the objects with their lives.

Laureen smiles again and shakes her head as she pulls out a few shells from the box and puts the box back onto its shelf. Then Laureen swims out of the hidden cave and shuts the entrance with a large boulder. No one would suspect two legendary objects being hidden in an underwater cavern inside a jewelry store.

Soon the sound of thunder rumbles from above the sea. The Lapras pause to look out the window and realize that a storm is brewing soon. They smile widely at each other. A storm approaching means that some lost cargo would wash up in the beach. Luckily for the duo, their store is nearby a large beach.

Laureen places the shells onto the counter. "You ready to go, dear sister?"

Laura smiles as she grabs a large bag and places it over her long neck. Then she picks up a large poster and faces the side that says 'Closed' against the window. "Certainly. I can't wait to see what washes ashore this time."

With wide smiles on their faces, the Lapras close up their shop and slowly swim towards their destination. The sound of thunder grows louder as they approach the surface. As soon as their heads rise above the water, they yelp when a large tidal wave harshly crashes upon them. The duo splutter as they rise above the water again.

"Laureen!" Laura cries as she floats beside her sister. She looks around cautiously. Rain is pouring heavily from the black sky and it was almost difficult to see anything. The waves were moving around in frantic patterns. Thunder is also striking dangerously low near the water. "I don't know if this is a good idea! I think that this storm might turn into a hurricane!"

Laureen grimaces when a loud thunder strikes. She shakes her head. "We'll be fine, dear! The beach isn't that far! Besides, the stronger the wind, the better chances that we'll have at finding good treasure!" Then she turns and floats away with some difficulty. "Come along, now!"

"Can't we wait until the storm passes?"

"If we do, then all of the good stuff will be lost to someone else!"

Laura sighs and shakes her head. If there was one thing different about her sister, it is her determination.

The duo continue to float towards their destination. It was difficult considering the massive waves and harsh winds. After about twenty minutes, they see the beach and sigh in relief. Soon they crawl towards the sands but shiver when the cold wind brushes through their wet skin.

"Let's look around quickly and get out of here!" Laura cries. She looks anxiously at the sky. "I don't want to stay out in this storm for too long!"

Laureen forces herself to smile at her sister despite their situation. She crawls forward and her eyes glint when she sees large waves pushing a few items into the beach. She sees a large chest and opens it. To her curiosity, she sees various elegant human dresses, suits, and some priceless treasures inside. She places aside the clothing and takes out some of the treasure. She inspects some of them while Laura crawls up to her and waits patiently. Finally Laureen takes out a small pearl bracelet, a silver tiara, a gold necklace, and a large emerald. She places the four items into her sister's bag.

Suddenly Laura grows stiff as she sniffs around. Laureen frowns at her. "What's wrong?"

"I smell something strange…" Laura murmurs as she looks around the beach. "But I can't tell if it's sea water or blood-"

"_Blood_?" Laureen exclaims. "Laura, don't be absurd! No land creature in their right mind would come out in this storm! It's too dangerous for them!"

"Then what is that I'm smelling?"

Laureen sighs before she begins to sniff the air. She pauses when she smells something off and frowns. After looking around the beach carefully, she shakes her head. "Maybe it's just the storm. Don't worry about it."

Laura looks unconvinced as she follows her sister through the beach. They look around cautiously and find a few seashells in the sand before they continue. They flinch when thunder strikes again but pause when they see something strange before them.

They see two large palm trees in the beach. The storm must have torn them off. But that isn't what caught the duo off guard. It is what is surrounding the trees.

_Blood_...

The duo glance at each other warily before they slowly crawl towards the trees. They stare at the foliage for a few moments before throwing aside the trees and staring down at what looks like a patch of seaweed. Their hearts stop when they see a pair of black lizard legs sticking out of the pile.

Suddenly a groan catches their ears and they stare in shock as the form of a black and white Grovyle rolls onto her side away from the seaweed. The physical state that she is in was positively horrendous. She had large purple bruises all over her back, neck, and thighs. Her wrists and ankles are swollen. She has deep cuts on her forehead, biceps, and stomach. Her digital watch seems to have been blasted and is beyond repairable. Blood was heavily pouring out from between her legs.

"_Crystalline!"_ The Lapras shriek as they move the seaweed away from Crystal's form. Their shock turns into worry, horror, and panic as they surround her and look for any more wounds. Laura throws aside her bag as she frantically checks for broken bones while Laureen checks for a pulse. Laureen lets out a sigh when she feels a very weak pulse.

Crystal groans again as she weakly opens her eyes. The Lapras look down at her with wide eyes. "Crystal! You're alive, thank Arceus! Who is the monster that has done this to you?" Laura cries.

They notice that Crystal's eyes are no longer gold, but look almost orange and bloodshot. She weeps silently as she looks around in confusion and fear. When she sees the Lapras, her tears flow even more. "Girls…?" She croaks.

"We're here, darling. Don't you worry." Laureen gently wipes Crystal's forehead. Crystal winces when the pain in her forehead grows extreme. "You're safe now."

Crystal's eyes begin to close. But before she faints, she manages to say, "Eclipso… Rape… Torture…"

The girls' hearts sink as they take in the words. Then they look down at the lizard's groin and feel their hearts breaking when they realize what has happened. Crystal was raped, tortured, and left on the beach to die. But who is this Eclipso? That doesn't matter. What matters is that their friend is hurt and she needs immediate medical help.

Laureen trembles and breathes heavily as she looks around. To her slight relief, she sees a small cave nearby the shore that is big enough for the Grovyle to fit inside. Wordlessly she looks at her sister and points at the cave. Laura gets the drift and nods. Laureen then slowly but gently places Crystal onto her back before the duo crawl towards the cave. Thunder strikes but the duo refuse to get caught off guard regardless of the fear and anxiety now plaguing their hearts. As soon as they are near the shelter, Laureen gently lies Crystal inside the cave. The duo shield the entrance from the heavy rainstorm and take a good look at Crystal. Their hearts plummet even further when they realize that Crystal's friends are far away. They don't have any materials that can help Crystal heal overnight or to even stop her bleeding. What can they do?

Then Laureen's eyes narrow and she glares at her sister. "Laura, go underwater and grab the strongest seaweed that you can find. I'll use my affinity to heal Crystal's wounds as best as I can."

Laura gives her sister a look of disbelief. "But seaweed isn't strong enough to wrap around anything, least of all keep wounds bandaged!"

"It is the only chance that we have! Crystal might die if we don't do something and there isn't anyone around here that can help us! We have no choice!" Laureen snaps. Laura stares at her sister for a moment before she nods and turns to leave. As soon as she jumps into the water, Laureen turns to Crystal and gently turns her to rest onto her back. Then she breathes deeply as she focuses on the seawater and reaches out for it. Suddenly the liquid floats out from the sea and comes towards the Lapras. Laureen turns to Crystal and carefully inserts the water into her bloodstream to start cleaning the infections.

Crystal's eyes squint and she grimaces. Laureen then remembers that the seawater is salt water and that it is painful to use to clean wounds. Then she shakes her head; she has no fresh water. There is no alternative.

Crystal begins to squirm even more. Laureen frowns apologetically at the lizard. "Crystalline, I know that it hurts. But there is no other way. I'm sorry."

The cleaning continues and tears leak out of Crystal's eyes as she feels even more extreme pain from her bloodstream. She lets out a breath when it suddenly stops. Laureen summons out the dirtied seawater and dumps in into the sand behind. Right on cue, Laureen submerges from the sea with lots of seaweed in her mouth. She quickly crawls up to her sister and places the seaweed down before her. The duo waste no time in wrapping the seaweed around Crystal's wounds as best as they could. Crystal winces when they tighten the bandages around her, particularly around her head.

As soon as they are done, the duo look Crystal over. Her bleeding has slightly stopped, but it won't be long before she gets a cold from the storm (if she isn't already sick). The duo shield the entrance from the storm and stare around the beach. They could feel their hope slimming when they realize that the storm won't let up anytime soon and that no one is around to help them.

It looks like they are on their own throughout the night.

-ooo-

In the underground medical laboratory of the Garden of Eden, Zoroark hastily taps his foot impatiently. He paces around the room with his arms crossed while everyone stares at the floor with bored interest.

"I'm worried…" Zoroark's eyes flash with anxiety as he stares at his feet. "Crystal and the exiles haven't come back in hours… What if something happened to them? What if they got lost in the storm?"

"Eclipso and the exiles would never let anything happen to Crystal." Lily assures the fox gently. She sits on a clean medical bed with Raven beside her. "They would have found shelter. They'll be fine. I'm certain of it."

"But why isn't Crystal answering any of our calls?" Scalene frowns as she points at her digital watch. "Every time I try to call her, it always states that such a watch number doesn't exist. What if she broke her watch?"

"They'll still find shelter. Don't worry. They'll be back by morning." Ribo smiles even though his own eyes display slight worry.

"I swear, Crystal loves going out only to worry the hell out of us." Violet grumbles as she crosses her arms. "If this keeps up, then I might as well install a GPS into her watch and know exactly where she is and who she's with."

"So overprotective, Violet." Rocky chuckles. "You act as if you're her mother."

"She's my friend." Violet hisses. "I have every right to be worried about her."

"You're not as worried about us as you are with her. What's up with that?" Rocky teases with a toothy grin. "Can you stand to watch us getting hurt?"

"Don't be a wuss."

Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash couldn't help but snort. Watching Crystal's friends arguing is more or less amusing, but they have to admit that they are worried about Crystal. Didn't she leave just to set things straight with Eclipso? Darkrai is certain that his brother wouldn't hurt the Grovyle; the other exiles wouldn't let him anyway. But the boys have to be honest when they say that it probably wasn't a good idea to let Crystal be alone with the exiles, particularly since they have cybertronic machinery installed into them. They aren't sure if there are side effects to the machinery, but they know that they can't be good. Based on how upset Eclipso has made Crystal, they know that it probably would end with more tears.

But that doesn't excuse the fact on why they have been out for hours. If things ended badly, then Eclipso and Crystal would try to avoid each other as soon as they return. But what could have happened to where Crystal couldn't come home instantly?

Suddenly extreme pain strikes the heroes brains. They cry out as they fall down to their knees and clutch their heads. Instantly everyone glances at them and grow concerned.

"What's wrong?" Pikachu asks as he places his paws on Ash's lap. Suicune, Entei, and Cresselia gently nuzzle their counterparts and ask the same question with the same amount of concern.

The boys say nothing as the pain worsens and they cry out. They sweat as several dark images flash through their minds. They could see Darkstar laughing evilly while Eclipso's eyes flash dangerously. Thunder strikes behind them and a girl's agonized screams echoes through their ears.

"_Boys… Help me…_" A familiar voice croaks. The boys then see an image of two gold eyes flashing in pain and tears flowing. Then more flashes of random images flow through the boys' minds. They see darkness before two Lapras stare down at them in horror. Then the image changes and displays the Lapras setting Crystal into a small gave. When they see the sand, they automatically assume that the trio are at a beach someplace.

Then everything hits the duo and their eyes snap open wide. They breathe heavily as they stare at each other warily and ignore their friends' questions. They continue to breathe heavily before they shake their heads.

"Crystal…" Darkrai breathes before he glances at Violet. She is giving him a strange look. Without warning, the phantom launches forward and snaps the watch off her wrist. The female clone protests in alarm.

"What are you doing?" She demands. The boys ignore her as they huddle together. Darkrai presses random buttons onto his watch until he sees a holographic image of the beach. When he selects it, a portal opens before the heroes. Everyone blinks in confusion as the trio jump into the portal and disappear. As soon as the portal closes, everyone stares in bafflement.

What just happened…?

-ooo-

Soon the boys arrive at the beach. They yell out when the cold wind hits their bodies. They shield their eyes and wince when thunder strikes. Then they look around their surroundings and squint. The storm is far too fierce to see anything.

"Hello?" Ash calls out loudly. "Is anybody out here?"

The waves crash against the heroes. They yelp and splutter as they rush back into the shore and shiver at the sudden coldness.

"HELLO?" Raikou bellows. "CRYSTAL, WHERE ARE YOU?"

The boys are silent until they hear distant cries. "Who is there?"

The duo pause before they rush towards the source of the voice. "Keep speaking! That way we can find you!" Raikou shouts.

The voice then makes a beastly howl that startles the heroes. But they continue forward with their hearts pounding frantically in their chests. Soon they find a small cave covered by two tall Lapras. The duo look a bit defensive for some reason.

"Laura? Laureen?" Raikou blinks in surprise. The Lapras stare down at him in surprise. "Legendary Raikou?" Suddenly their expressions turn into relief and joy. "Oh, thank Arceus that you're here!"

"I'm surprised that you're out in this storm!" Raikou's eyes glint in relief.

"But what are you doing out in this storm anyway?" Laura tilts her head in confusion.

"We're looking for a close friend." Darkrai floats up and narrows his eyes suspiciously. The Lapras were in the vision he saw earlier. "A black and white Grovyle named Crystal. Do you know where she is?"

The girls' expressions turn into shock before they glance at each other. Their expressions turn into grief before they crawl aside and show the boys the tiny cave. The boys' breaths hitch in their throats as soon as they see the unconscious lizard.

"Crystal!" Raikou cries as he rushes forward. Darkrai and Ash rush forward as well and the boys kneel around Crystal. They stare at the lizard with horrific eyes. Then Raikou glances at the Lapras. "What happened?"

"We found her on the beach when we came to look for treasure." Laura explains sadly. "She was under two palm trees and a pile of seaweed. Crystal woke up and said 'Eclipso… Rape… Torture…' to us. We don't know who this Eclipso is, but we know what damage is done." She lowers her head in shame. Laureen nuzzles her sister comfortingly.

Darkrai could feel something in his chest tighten as he stares down at Crystal. Raikou and Ash could feel tears threatening to flow from their eyes. "Eclipso… Did this…?" Darkrai mutters hoarsely. He sees the blood between Crystal's thighs and turns his head away with a groan. "No…"

"HEY! PHANTURD!" A furious feminine voice shouts. The heroes jump in surprise and turn to see Violet storming towards them with a bewildered Ribo behind her. "WHAT IS THE BIG IDEA STEALING MY WATCH? YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD EXCUSE OR I'M GONNA-" Violet stops abruptly as soon as she sees Crystal. Ribo almost bumps into her but stops right when he sees her stare. He looks up and his eyes widen when he sees Crystal.

There is silence as the boys watch the duo's expressions turn from deadpan into a mixture of shock, horror, and fear. "Crystal…?" Violet's voice is barely above a squeak as she stares at her friend. Suddenly she lets out a shriek and rushes forward. She pushes Darkrai aside and cradles Crystal in her arms as she cries and hyperventilates. Ribo only stares numbly at Crystal as if he is trying to process the fact that his friend is possibly dead in front of him.

Crystal lets out a groan. Violet gasps and pulls away as Crystal slowly opens her eyes. Everyone hastily surrounds her as she looks up with pained confusion. When she sees Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash, she smiles very weakly. "You heard my call…" She murmurs.

So that's what happened, the boys mused. Crystal has called out to them through her unconscious state with her telepathy and alerted them that she was in trouble. Instantly Violet begins asking questions.

"CRYSTAL, HOLY F**K! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? WHO DID THIS TO YOU? WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL FOR HELP? WHERE ARE ECLIPSO AND THE OTHER EXILES?"

Crystal and the boys visibly flinch at hearing the mention of the traitorous exiles. Crystal's eyes begin to water and she suddenly lets out a cry of anguish. Without warning, she wraps her arms tightly around a bewildered Violet and holds onto her tightly as she continues crying. Violet stares at Crystal in absolute bewilderment before she holds the Grovyle tightly and lets her friend cry on her shoulder. Ribo seems to be trembling as he kneels beside the clone and wraps an arm around her shoulder. He has never seen his best friend cry out of anguish or fear. Seeing her in such a state… He has no idea what to do to fix the situation.

Crystal continues to cry for several minutes until she is quiet. Violet looks down at her and realizes that the poor girl has fainted from stress and physical weariness.

"Get her out of here." Laureen suddenly says. The Pokémon look at her in surprise. The Lapras hold stern glares. "Crystal needs professional medical care. You'll all get sick if you stay in this storm!"

"Go quickly!" Laura adds. "The storm will only get worse!"

The heroes stare at the Lapras before they nod in agreement. Ribo carefully picks Crystal up into his arms while Violet snatches the watch from Darkrai and presses a few buttons on her watch. When she finishes, a portal opens. Wasting no time, the heroes jump into the portal. However, Laureen holds Raikou and Darkrai back. The Legendaries give the Lapras a questioning look.

"Take good care of Crystal. Don't let anything happen to her." The Lapras' eyes flash in a stern manner. The boys stare at her for a moment before they slowly nod and jump into the portal after their friends. The Lapras watch as the portal closes with a flash of light.

-ooo-

As soon as the heroes appear back in the valley, they rush towards the cave with a blurring speed. They pass by several soldiers and ignore their horrified stares as they reach to the medical lab. As soon as they reach down the stairs, their allies turn to them.

"About time you came back." Rocky snorts as he turns to them. "We thought that the boys might have overreacted and-" Rocky turns silent as soon as he sees Crystal. His eyes widen in disbelief.

Instantly everyone turns silent as they drop what they were holding (which were mainly berries) and stare in horror. Ribo wastes no time and pushes his way through the stricken crowd as he gently places Crystal onto a free medical bed. He and Violet begin to activate several medical devices while the boys stare at Crystal with fearful expressions.

Suddenly two shrieks break the silence. Laki and Lily rush forward and grab Crystal's hands as they begin to cry. "CRYSSY!" Lily cries as she takes in the state that her twin is in. Laki begins to cry hysterically and shakes her head while muttering something in Spanish.

Finally everyone reacts and let out cries of horror, disbelief, and fear. Several of the heroes try to get to Crystal but are pushed back by Violet and Ribo. Eventually the situation became too stressful and the duo forcefully push everyone excluding Laki, Rocky, Scalene, and Gallade out of the medical lab. Zoroark stubbornly refuses to leave his mate but had no luck and was told to wait with the others. Laki decides to give everyone her watch and opens a holographic screen of the medical procedure so they can watch and overhear everything that the commanders say.

While the heroes watch in anxiety and fear, the six commanders do their best to clean up Crystal with everything that they have. Scalene and Rocky inspect all the wounds for any possible clues while the other four clean and bandage the blood and wounds that are already checked. Each Pokémon feels anger, fear, and grief knowing that their dearest friend is in so much pain. But the question is how did this happen? And where are the exiles?

Then Ribo decided that now would be the best time to use his telepathy on Crystal. It would go against his promise to never use his powers on her, but he needs to know exactly what happened. After bandaging a wound on her stomach, he closes his eyes and places a hand gently over her forehead. Soon his power takes him into Crystal's mind and he sees the memory flash before him. It starts when Crystal takes the exiles into the beach. Then she and Eclipso have an argument until she notices that all the exiles are frozen for some reason. She was about to call for help until Darkstar arrives and destroys her watch. The duo exchange snappy comebacks before Darkstar reveals his advantage over the exiles and uses them against Crystal. He possesses Eclipso to beat and rape Crystal and Darkstar laughs at her torture before he decides that it was enough for one night and leaves Crystal to die on the beach. The exiles follow the demon with little choice.

Ribo gasps and stumbles back into his medical chair. He trembles as he places a hand on his head before he looks at Crystal's groin. He hesitates before he looks at her womanhood and sees the damage done. He closes his eyes and groans. "Oh… S**t…."

The other commanders glance at him in confusion before Rocky mutters, "What the hell?"

The cybertronic Rhyperior reaches towards his medical tools and holds up a pair of tweezers. He carefully leans over Crystal's forehead and digs inside until he takes out a sharp mechanical piece out. The Pokémon stare in confusion while Rocky cleans the item out and stares at it.

"What the hell is that…?" Violet asks as she stares at the item. Rocky doesn't respond as he continues to stare at it. Scalene looks at it carefully. "… That is a piece of titanium steel…"

"So? What does it mean?" Violet demands impatiently.

"Darkstar said something about using titanium steel to operate his robots…" Scalene says carefully. Her eyes widen in shock. "That means a cybertronic robot must have attacked her!"

"But that doesn't make sense," Gallade shakes his head. "All the cybertronic Pokémon have been taken to the human scientists. They would have alerted us if one of them escaped. There's no way that it could have been their doing…"

Suddenly Laki's breath hitches. Her expression turns pale as she looks at the commanders. "… Crystal was with the exiles. They are cybertronic Pokémon. They are made from the same material."

"Are you saying that the exiles did this to her?" Violet demands. "Ridiculous!" She turns to Ribo. "Isn't that right, Ribo?"

Then the heroes see Ribo's position. He is leaning on his elbows with his hands in his face. His shoulders are shaking and he is breathing heavily. Violet places a hand on his shoulder. "Ribo?"

Finally Ribo looks up at the heroes with the dullest and saddest expression they have ever seen. "I've seen Crystal's memory. She was raped and tortured. Darkstar possessed Eclipso to hurt her while the other exiles watched."

Silence.

More silence.

Even more silence.

A ridiculously long silence.

Finally Laki lets out a shriek of agony and buries her face into her paws. Gallade instantly rushes to her while Violet stumbles back and shakes her head in disbelief. Scalene and Rocky begin to weep. They could hear the heroes shouting out but ignore them as they take in the painful news.

"I should have known…" Laki cries as Gallade hugs her. The warrior tries to hold back his own tears but fails. "Crystal kept saying that something about Eclipso was different. It's as if he transformed into someone else; a stranger."

"But HOW could he DO this?" Violet cries. She sounded distressed as she tries to hastily wipe her tears away. "We TRUSTED him and he HURT her! HE HURT HER!" Violet begins to punch the wall behind her as she cries out. Ribo quickly floats over to her and pulls her into a tight hug. The clone protests and beats at his chest until she surrenders to his hold and cries in his chest. Ribo begins to cry as he holds Violet's shaking form and rocks her gently.

Suddenly the door slams open and the commanders look up. They feel their hearts plummeting when they see Zoroark rushing in with a look of pure despair. He lets out a roar of agony as he takes Crystal into his arms and holds her tightly against him. He rocks her back and forth as he continues howling in grief.

-ooo-

Outside of the lab, everyone else has overheard Ribo's declaration. Their expressions range from rage to fear to pure sorrow. Lily was fighting with Raven over seeing her sister and was crying desperately about being the worst sibling in history. Several Pokémon lower their heads in remorse and begin to shed tears while some were shaking their heads in disbelief, hoping that the whole thing was a horrendous dream that would go away. Zarko expressed no reaction although he did close his eyes and lower his head with a grim frown on his snout.

The worst blow was upon Ash, Raikou, and Darkrai. The boys have never felt so afraid for their friend's life or so guilty about not knowing of what could have been prevented. Seeing Crystal in such a broken state… It would take more than emotional and physical therapy to save her. And how would the Legendaries take in the news? What would Arceus say? The boys shudder at the thought. They know for a fact that the God would not take in the thought of his daughter being ravaged by an exile he used to trust in very well. Darkrai could not believe that his younger brother would stoop so low regardless that he was forced in committing the crime.

It was too much to bear. It was the last straw for the heroes. Darkstar and the exiles have gone too far.

Crystal might or might not survive from this attack. Regardless if she does or not, the Pokémon know what they must do. They must put a stop to Darkstar's reign before he forces more evil upon innocent Pokémon.

The final war will break out soon. When, the heroes aren't quite sure. But they are certain about one thing; they will not go down without a fight. They will win the battle and avenge Crystal.

No matter the cost, they will put an end to this tyranny and bring Earth back its peace.

**Finally done! So what do you think? Leave a comment please! And there's something else all of you should know; I'm thinking about ending this story by chapter forty at the most since it is getting close to the ending. But I need some advice as to what will happen next!**

**Also, be sure to protest against SOPA; if the bill passes, then this story will never have an ending! Fanfiction will cease to exist! Say no to SOPA!**

**Read and review, please!**


	37. Chapter 37: Prepare For Battle

**Hey, guys! I've decided to put my focus onto this story since it is close to being finished! Yay for '**_**New Divide'**_** fans! I have the last four chapters generally plotted out but am still thinking about what to put down. Some suggestions would be nice. And since I'm so nice, I'll tell you about what the next chapters are about. This chapter is the preparation for the final battle. 38 and 39 are two parts of the battle and 40 will be an epilogue. Keep in mind that there will be possible character deaths in the story so don't be too surprised. It is a war after all.**

**Also, I'm greatly hoping that SOPA won't be passed. Otherwise this story will never be finished! Fight against the bill for the sake of Fanfiction!**

**Other than that, enjoy the new chapter.**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 37: Prepare For Battle**

The last two days have been nothing but absolute hell and strict business with the heroes. After the discovery of Crystal's torture, the heroes refuse to leave the island out of fear of losing her again. Zoroark, Lily, and Violet were especially stubborn about letting her out of their sight. Crystal has woken up from her stressful coma and was almost practically phobic of any kind of touch until she was convinced that she was safe with her friends. In the next day, she refused to get out of her bed and hasn't stopped crying or shaking from betrayal and fear. The commanders were forced to summon their affinities in hopes of soothing their leader's broken soul and it helped very little. She eventually began to eat and sleep but only if someone was beside her (mainly Zoroark).

Crystal was such a strong girl that wasn't afraid to fight for her goals. Now seeing her in such a vulnerable and weak position… It has changed many of the heroes gravely. Most of the childish heroes have turned very strict and didn't joke around as much as they used to. As such, the more mature Pokémon grew even more cautious around whoever they talked with. To make it simple, they were paranoid around even each other.

The worst outcome of all was finally telling Arceus about what has happened to his daughter. The heroes almost feared for their lives when the God's expression turned blank. He looked as if all of the function has died in his body. The Legendaries' reactions were pure anger and rage, but they were nothing compared to Arceus. As soon as the Legendaries returned from their patrol, they were shown Crystal's condition. The site finally made Arceus snap. The storm seemed to grow worse as he let out roars of rage and blasted the meadow below the island with very little restraint. Lily managed to stop Arceus with tearful pleads and the father did stop but only to hug his second child comfortingly. He didn't hide back the tears as he nuzzled Lily and Crystal. After all, they are the only family he has left and he would be damned if he lost his own children. He is grateful that Crystal is still alive, he supposed, but it does not excuse the fact that what Eclipso, the exiles, and Darkstar have done is unforgivable. He has expected more out of the exiles, especially after their banishment. But it seems that they have no control over their own actions (regardless if Terotrey does possess them) and that leaves the God no choice.

He decides to have a public meeting with not only the heroes, but the whole world on the second night.

-ooo-

Arceus' eyes glow as he watches a couple of human reporters setting up various cameras around the cave entrance. A large stand with a large microphone is placed before the God as he stands elegantly before the news crew. The humans occasionally stare at him or at the assisting Legendaries with slight fear or awe before they go back to work.

Arceus has requested his Legendaries to bring together as many Pokémon as possible to witness this important broadcast. He has also sent Darkrai and Ash out to find a nearby human broadcast team and to bring them to the valley so the news will be broadcasted worldwide. The humans were at first bewildered by the request, but not so much as being asked to bring along all the cameras that they had. Their confusion turned into absolute shock and disbelief when they are personally taken to the God and were asked to give an important newsflash that would require everyone's immediate attention. The cost of the power would be astronomical considering how much equipment the small team had, but several of the electric Legendary Pokémon were more than willing to support the electricity. Other than that concern, the team would need help with supporting the various cameras. Fortunately, the Pokémon that are able to talk could understand the situation and only need to carry the cameras and watch as Arceus gives his speech. Thanks to the storm, the grass is exceedingly wet so many blankets were put out to keep the stands and cables dry. The last thing everyone needs is another accident.

Arceus has sent his Legendaries out by morning. The broadcast team has arrived right on noon and has set up the cameras for hours. By nightfall, the humans are checking over the equipment to make sure that they are functioning. It is then that several Pokémon have arrived as soon as Scalene lowers the island's stairs onto Earth. Several of the Pokémon have come far and wide to hear what is going on and rest as they wait for the broadcast to start.

Arceus looks at everyone carefully and raises a brow when he sees a few helicopters hovering over the valley. Obviously the massive number of Pokémon has caught the human attention and so other news teams have come to see what is going on. Well, that is just fine with the God. The more, the better. But the God couldn't help but feel cautious when he sees one helicopter holding a red R on the side.

Then the newscast put on the lights. Arceus nearly stumbles back when the lights are aimed at him. Such brightness could blind a lesser being, but fortunately the God is not vulnerable. He feels relieved when the lights dim enough to a comfortable level and to where he could actually view the crowd before him. Everyone is staring at the magnificent being with curiosity, awe, or confusion.

The time is almost here.

-ooo-

Raikou meekly walks out of the cave entrance to see what is going on outside. He nearly stumbles back when he sees thousands of Pokémon through the bright light. He squints to get a better visual and his surprise turns into bewilderment. The whole valley is almost covered with various species of Pokémon while barely a quarter of the entrance cave is surrounded by lights and cameras.

Raikou barely remembers seeing this many Pokémon the last time a broadcast was called. Then again, last time there were much more humans last time… He is certain that more have come because the God of all Pokémon has called upon them.

Raikou couldn't help but feel slightly anxious. He knows what the God is going to say; the God has arranged a meeting with the Legendaries and heroes about it the night before. And most were in favor of what he has decided. Raikou knows that after the God is finished with his speech, everyone will offer to help in any way possible.

But what Raikou is nervous about is what if their plan fails? What if the world will be doomed forever?

"Having doubts, Raikou?"

The thunder tiger blinks and turns around. He sees Ash and Darkrai standing behind him with arms crossed and eyes bemused. For some reason, their eyes seem different…

Raikou shrugs as he turns to stare at the site. "Nope."

Raikou is a bit surprised when he hears Darkrai hum softly before the phantom and human walk up to him. They stare at the site in long silence and listen to the random chatter of the excited and curious Pokémon.

"So much has happened in very little time…" Darkrai muses to himself. "And things are going to take a different turn…"

"I know…" Raikou murmurs. "For better or worse."

The thunder tiger suddenly feels very anxious. He tries to hide it from the other two as he continues to stare at the crowd.

"Something on your mind, Raikou?" Ash asks.

Raikou hastily shakes his head. "Nope."

"Raikou…" Ash says slowly. "You do not have to lie. A war is coming soon and I think that it's time to push aside all secrets. You have nothing to hide from us."

The thunder tiger couldn't help but raise a brow at the human. Since when has Ash become so philosophical? Then he sighs. "I guess…" He hesitates.

Darkrai then uncharacteristically places a hand on the tiger's shoulder. "Go on."

Raikou hesitates before he sighs and lowers his head. "I'm scared. I have no idea of what will happen to all of us. Of what will happen to the future. Based on everything that has happened, I don't know what to think of anymore. What if we lose? I'm scared that everything we worked for will be lost." The tiger closes his eyes.

There is silence as the boys stare at Raikou's hunched form. The tiger is worried that they will scold him for thinking of such thoughts and insist that they will win. But to his great surprise, Ash pats his back gently. "Raikou, we understand. All we can do is believe, hope, and continue to fight. It is those three things that have gotten you so far into your life."

Raikou stares at the duo in confusion.

"Raikou, remember when you were exiled from the Legendary Council?" Darkrai asks.

Raikou stares at the phantom before he slowly nods.

"You have made many mistakes. You had many ups and downs during your journeys. But you have handled them with great responsibility. They have all led you to this day."

"It was _you_ who have gathered up an army to go against Darkstar in his human disguise." Ash insists with a smile. "It was _you_ who have made amendments with tribes in order to save those who you care for. It was _you_ who have fought against Darkstar solo and have ultimately beaten him at his own game. It was _you_ that has chosen to put faith in Crystal and her team to train you. Overall, it was _you_ that has gotten us all this far. If anyone can beat Darkstar, it would be you."

"You have saved countless lives, Raikou. Your determination and bravery has given you many great victories. Don't give up just yet. We are at the prime of our time. If anything, fight for the many things we still have. Fight for your friends. Fight for your Legendary comrades. Fight for Crystal and Suicune. Fight for our home. Fight for our future."

Raikou couldn't help but look at the boys in absolute awe. He gapes at them for the longest time and thinks hard about their words of wisdom and comfort. He knows that they are right; he must go on. Not for his sake, but for the world.

"There you are, kid! Ash and I have been wondering where you were!"

Raikou blinks many times before he and the boys turn around. The tiger's eyes widen when he sees Ash and Darkrai heading towards them. However, the duo stop and stare at the trio with absolute bewilderment.

Now confused beyond knowledge, Raikou stares at the Ash and Darkrai beside him and at the duo before him. He looks back and forth multiple times and blinks slowly as if he was hallucinating. "What…?"

The boys beside the tiger smile before their forms begin to fade and shrink. Suddenly they take two small forms of glowing black and white orbs. Raikou blinks before realization hits him. "Reshiram and Zekrom…"

The duo float around the tiger slowly while Darkrai and Ash slowly walk up to them with confusion written on their faces.

"_**Good to know that you still remember us…" **_Reshiram says softly. When the tiger only stares, he hums again. _**"We took the disguises of your closest allies so no other being could catch us."**_

"_**Imagine the drama that would lurk!" **_Zekrom chuckles. But when the boys don't so much as smile, he grows silent. _**"Right… Now is not the time. Anyways, remember what we have said, Legendary Raikou. And follow the words with you as you go into battle."**_

Raikou suddenly frowns. "But what about you two? Won't you be in the battlefield with us?"

"_**I'm afraid not."**_ Raikou could sense a sad smile from Reshiram. _**"Zekrom and I can only do so much, but we cannot take sides with either the good or bad. It goes against our nature. We can only watch and accept what happens in the past, present, and future."**_

Suddenly Darkrai narrows his eyes. "You knew that all of this would happen. The exile, Crystal's past and present life, the battles, everything."

"_**Yes, we knew."**_ Zekrom says quietly. _**"But like we said, we had no control to alter it or to fix it. It goes against our vows to never interfere with life."**_

"Then why are you here?" Ash asks quietly. The Gods are silent before they sigh.

"_**We are here because the prophesy is about to be fulfilled. We need to know for certain that no matter what happens, you will never quit and fulfill your destiny."**_

"Wait a moment… The prophesy?" Raikou blinks before he frowns. "Crystal and Darkstar mentioned something about a prophesy, but they have never gotten around to telling us about the full details. Can you please elaborate on that?"

"_**The prophesy states that three chosen beings are destined to save Earth from being cast by eternal darkness. But only one out of those three chosen ones has the true power to stop the threat by finding something inside him that he has yet to discover."**_

"The three chosen ones are us? How do you know that they _are _us?" Darkrai asks cautiously.

"_**The prophesy has stated that 'a tiger with the electric affinity, a phantom with a dark affinity, and a human with a pure aura' would protect Earth."**_Zekrom's answer is blank.

The boys look sheepish. "Oh…"

Suddenly Darkrai looks suspicious again. "But again, how do you know so much about this prophesy? Crystal and Darkstar themselves didn't get the full details about the prophesy until several years later. Hell, who even _made_ the prophesy?"

The Gods are silent for a very long time. When they say nothing, realization hits the boys and they stumble back from shock. "No… You mean…"

"_**Yes, it was us that have made the prophesy."**_ Reshiram sighs. _**"From the beginning of time itself, we have known that this day would come. But the prophesy is so old that it was eventually forgotten by the original ones that used to roam Earth. As much as there is good on Earth, there must be evil in it too. It is what makes us all equal."**_

The boys are silent as they take in the information. To think that the Gods have known that everything would lead up to this, it makes the heroes think of the worst. "And you won't tell us who will win the fight?"

"_**We cannot."**_ Zekrom sighs sadly. _**"That is against our vow as well."**_

"Can I have an honest answer about one thing?" Raikou says unexpectedly. Everyone glances at him in surprise. Raikou looks surprisingly calm even though his eyes display nervousness as he stares at the orbs.

"Is this my destiny? Is this what I was born for?"

The boys blink in confusion while the Gods remain unaffected. Then Reshiram speaks. _**"That is solely dependent on you, Legendary Raikou. Zekrom and I have no control over one's choices. Only you can decide on what your destiny is. Would you be forever known as Legendary Raikou, the savior of Earth? The Legendary that has died to protect Earth? The joker of the Legendary Council?"**_ Raikou flushes at the comment. _**"Either way, it is what you want to be and not what someone else expects you to be. It is your call."**_

The boys are silent as they stare at Alpha and Omega for the longest time. Suddenly the crowd goes quiet and the boys look outside. _**"It is almost time for the broadcast."**_ Reshiram murmurs quietly. _**"Zekrom and I must take our leave."**_

"Wait!" Raikou holds up a paw. "I still have so many questions to ask!"

"_**Questions that you will have the answer to in time, my boy."**_ Zekrom chuckles softly. He floats closely to the thunder tiger. Raikou could feel a soothing aura radiating from the dark orb. _**"Think about what we have said and make your choice soon. Many Pokémon before you have taken their calls; it's about time that you make yours."**_

"But-" Raikou pauses when Darkrai holds him back and shakes his head. The boys watch as the glowing orbs disappear in midair. Some mist lingers before it also disappears.

Then the boys hear footsteps behind them and turn to see several of their close allies walking out of the cave. Judging by the blank look on their faces, they haven't seen or overheard what just transpired. They greet the boys with brave smiles or nods as they walk out of the cave.

When they are alone again, Darkrai and Ash give Raikou a long stare before they nod and join their allies. Raikou remains behind and stares at the entrance as the Gods' words flow through his mind.

How will he handle his decision?

Raikou is silent for several minutes until he hears the crowd begin to grow even more quiet. He looks outside and sees his Legendary comrades and closest allies watching Arceus with tentative eyes.

Suicune…

Darkrai…

Crystal's friends…

Jeff and Skyler…

Mewtwo and Deoxys…

All of his dear friends. The Pokémon that he has grown so fond of over the last month and a half. The Pokémon that are close enough for him to consider family. The Pokémon that have always been by his side no matter what happened.

They will rely on him as much as he will rely on them. He cannot abandon them, not after all that has happened. They have come so far and they can only go forward. Together.

Raikou's eyes narrow in determination. He's made his decision.

Without another thought, he rushes forward and steps up to Arceus with a request in mind.

-ooo-

Everything grows quiet as everyone watches Raikou whispering something to the God. Arceus raises a brow at the thunder tiger before he slowly nods. Raikou smiles a bit before he runs off to avoid being seen by the cameras. As soon as he is with his allies, Arceus turns to the cameramen and nods. Instantly all the cameras are activated and are carefully handled by both humans and Pokémon. After a few mutters of the leading cameraman, he gives Arceus a thumbs up. The sign to begin.

Arceus straightens up and stares directly at the crowd as he begins his speech.

"Fellow humans and Pokémon alike, I am calling you in this broadcast for a very important statement. This may or may not be my last statement to the world. As you all know, a catastrophe has struck upon our world. Darkstar has committed unspeakable horrors upon all of us in some way. Upon our friends, acquaintances, and loved ones. He has left so many permanent marks upon our home that history itself would never forget. I wish I could tell you that the Legendaries could handle Darkstar and stop his tyranny, but I cannot. Today, we are all no longer strangers amongst each other. Today, we are one as family and as an army standing up to protect what we hold dearest. We will stand in the darkness together and fight until either we, or Darkstar, or neither shall win. We shall fight for the end or for the beginning."

Arceus pauses to let the message sink into the crowd's minds. Several Pokémon look a bit uneasy and unnerved by the news but say nothing. Arceus sighs quietly before he continues. "By nightfall tomorrow, we will all be prepared for the final war that will take place in Darkstar's Realm. There is no guarantee that many of us will survive from the ambush so cherish this evening before coming to armor yourself tomorrow. If necessary, bring all the weapons and armor you have to assist our equipment. But if we are to die, then we will all die with honor and integrity."

Arceus sighs as he steps back. Then he glances at Raikou and nods at the tiger. Raikou winces when several cameras turn to him and almost loses his confidence when everyone is staring at him. But he isn't going to back down so soon. However, he isn't going to go without some help.

The tiger turns to a baffled Darkrai. "I am going to speak my terms, Darkrai. You would honor me by translating for the humans."

The phantom's eyes widen and he stares at the tiger incredulously. "But-"

"I don't have my translator collar on. It's been broken after that storm." Raikou points at his neck. "Please, Darkrai. As my best friend, do me this honor."

Darkrai doesn't say anything but looks incredibly hesitant. He glances at the staring crowd before he stares at the allies beside them. Several of the heroes are smiling and nodding at the phantom. Cresselia nuzzles Darkrai and murmurs, "Go."

Darkrai says nothing before he slowly sighs and curtly nods to Raikou. With a small smile on his snout, Raikou nods and leads them towards the stand. Arceus steps aside and raises a brow as Darkrai and Raikou stand before the pedestal and face the cameras.

After the phantom and tiger exchange glances, Raikou clears his throat and speaks to the Pokémon while Darkrai uses his collar to translate for the humans.

"Darkstar has sent us a message. A message that says that he thinks he has full control over everything and that he can take whatever he wants. And that by displaying terror and hate, he can do whatever he wants however he pleases. He believes that no one and nothing can stop him from his world domination."

Raikou's eyes grow stern when he sees the Pokémon grow curious. He notices his allies tilting their heads curiously as they listen.

"Well, we are gonna send him a clear message." Raikou narrows his eyes as he firmly places his paw against the most grass. "We are gonna show Darkstar that he will not take whatever he wants. We will show him that we will not back down because he has an army of cybertronic robots. We will show him that we are not scared of what he is capable of. We will show him that we will fight him with honor and integrity!"

Several of the Pokémon look intrigued as they nod their heads. Several of the creatures have glints in their eyes to show their approval.

"Run through the land as fast as you can. Fly as far as the wind can carry you. Swim as deep as you can possibly go. Tell all capable fighters to come. Tell them that the Legendaries are calling out to them. We are all equal and we will march into this war together!"

By this point, several of the Pokémon are letting out shouts of approval as they fidget in their spots. Excitement and pride fills the air as Raikou continues with his speech.

"My comrades, brothers, and sisters! Be proud to serve! Be brave and protect those who are dear to you! We will show Darkstar that this planet is our home! WE WILL FIGHT FOR OUR FUTURE!"

With that shout said, everyone in the valley let out cheers and echo Raikou's final statement. Several Pokémon roar and hold fists in the air as they yell out their excitement. Raikou's allies, especially Darkrai, were impressed by the tiger's mature speech and join in on the cheering. The cheering echoes out from the large valley. Raikou lets out a roar of dignity and holds his paw up triumphantly. As soon as the newscast turn off the broadcast, the humans begin to clap loudly and whistle as they cheer along with the Pokémon.

It looks like Raikou's speech has improved everyone's hope for survival.

Feeling quite proud of himself, Raikou smiles and lets out a sigh of content. He glances beside him and sees Darkrai's eyes glowing softly. The phantom smiles at him and nods approvingly as they float back to the cheering comrades. Raikou takes the chance to look back and sees Arceus smiling proudly at the tiger with glowing gold eyes. He nods at the tiger and Raikou nods back at him.

Raikou is startled when all of his comrades tackle him and envelop him in a huge group hug. They chatter excitedly while Suicune places kisses all over his face. Raikou notices that some of the Legendaries are leaving to go search for more capable warriors in the world. Several Pokémon let out excited thrills and cries as they fly/run out of the valley after the Legendaries. The helicopters turn away and disappear over the cliffs.

"_**Well done, Raikou…"**_ A voice in the tiger's head murmurs softly. Raikou smiles when he sees two glowing orbs in the sky before they disappear. Then he joins in hugging his friends and begins discussions as to what their plans for the ambush will be.

-ooo-

In the medical lab, Crystal smiles weakly from behind her breathing mask. She closes her eyes, rests her head against the pillow, and sighs deeply as she presses a remote to turn off the TV before her. On either side of her, Lily and Zoroark's eyes glow in pride.

"Such big words from that tiger," Lily muses as he leans against the bed from her chair. "I didn't think that Raikou was such a philosophical person."

"He usually isn't." Zoroark chuckles softly. His paw caresses one of Crystal's hands that doesn't have an IV. "He's really laid back and somewhat of a goofball. But a good kid overall."

"I'm so proud of him." Crystal murmurs softly. The duo look at her and see her eyes glistening brightly. "He has done so much for us. He has been so responsible for the past several weeks. He has the purest intentions that I have ever seen in any Legendary. I know that Mom and my grandparents feel the same way."

"Crys, you helped train him." Lily smiles as she soothingly rubs her hand over Crystal's forehead. "You are just as good as he is."

Crystal smiles and shakes her head. "No. It was Raikou's decision to go through with all of this. I only helped him by giving him choices of what to do. It is the choices that Raikou has made that makes him who he is. He is the chosen one after all."

Crystal lets out a deep breath and closes her eyes. "In order to fulfill the prophesy, Raikou needs to fulfill one last task before he can truly defeat Darkstar."

"And what is that?" Zoroark leans his head closely to Crystal.

"Find inner peace."

When the duo raise their brows in confusion, Crystal elaborates. "Raikou has insisted that everyone should forgive themselves for all their mistakes and that they must go on. However, he has yet to realize that he hasn't forgiven himself for his past mistakes. He can never truly activate his full power without letting go of the past and looking forward to the future."

"How are you sure that that's the case?" Lily asks.

"I didn't know for sure at first," Crystal admits truthfully. "But I noticed that Raikou had a bad tendency to feel guilty about many things that are not even his fault. As such, the guilt overwhelms him to where he can't even focus on his tasks. It is why he occasionally gets paranoid or puts up a childish act; he doesn't want anyone to think of him being so easily dismayed."

"Is that why you insisted having him and the other two train to activate their affinities?" Zoroark asks quietly.

Crystal smiles sadly. "It is. Activating an affinity not only has a tiring but powerful effect, but it's an incredibly stress-relieving technique. The commanders and I have found out about this not too long ago."

"Still deep into your theories, dear sister?" Lily smirks.

Crystal smirks back. "As always."

Zoroark chuckles and shakes his head. He runs his paw through Crystal's bandaged head. Then Lily decides to go find Raven and leaves the lovers alone.

When they are alone, Zoroark turns to Crystal. He smiles tenderly at her and places a gentle kiss on her cheek. Crystal smiles at him and nuzzles against him as he leans over the bed to lie next to her. Crystal cuddles against his form, careful to not let any of the medical wires get messed up.

Crystal gently nuzzles against his chest and Zoroark responds by rubbing his paw up and down her side. Crystal sighs in content. Just as she is about to doze off, she feels Zoroark's arms twitching tensely. She frowns as she looks up. "Z? Something on your mind?"

Zoroark says nothing as he stares off at space for a while. Then he looks down at Crystal with a stern expression. "Crystal, I don't want you to go to the battlefield tomorrow night."

Crystal sits up and stares at Zoroark as if he has just said blasphemy. The duo exchange a staring contest before the Grovyle shakes her head. "I'm going to that fight, Zoroark. No exceptions."

"Crystalline, listen to yourself!" Zoroark gestures to the Grovyle's form. His voice has a hint of a warning in it. "You are still healing from Darkstar's last attack! You are not well enough to even walk!"

"Regardless if I am well or not, this is still my fight! Besides, I can fight even if I am greatly injured! I've done it for the past millennium and now is no different!"

"Crystalline…" Zoroark's voice grows low as he narrows his eyes at her. "I said no. I've lost you once; I won't lose you again."

"Z-"

Zoroark places a finger over Crystal's lips. Crystal's glare turns into a bewildered look when Zoroark holds a very sad expression on his face. Zoroark cradles Crystal's head and neck as he makes her look up at him.

"Crystalline… I don't think you understand how much pain I was in when I found out you were hurt two nights ago." The fox says gently. "I felt like a failure as a guardian and as a mate for not being able to protect you."

"Z, you had no idea of what could have happened. I didn't foresee it either." Crystal shakes her head.

"You're missing my point. Crystal, I thought that you might never recover from this. Ever. Just thinking about losing you again was too much to bear. I seriously thought that if you died, I shortly would follow after."

Crystal's eyes widen. "You mean you considered-"

"Killing myself afterwards? Yes." Zoroark's eyes glow slightly. "I am serious when I said that my life was meaningless without you. I have searched for your soul in the afterlife for centuries and haven't been with you for the better part of my life. We are mates _for life_. I will have no one else, Crystalline. Just you and only you. I might as well be as good as dead if I don't commit suicide; you being gone would leave me lost and in pain."

Crystal suddenly feels so guilty knowing that her lover has gone through so much just to be with her. And he is still going to risk much just to be with her. But then realization struck her; this might be their last night together.

"What about you? Do you think that I'll be fine with you going into battle knowing that this may be our last moment together?"

Zoroark glances down at her tenderly. "That is why we should cherish this last night together." Crystal's eyes widen and Zoroark gently smiles. "Crystal, you're still healing. I won't do anything to make you uncomfortable. All I wish is just to hold you into my arms. That is all. I promise."

Crystal's eyes reflect relief and she sighs. "Nothing I say will change your mind about going to the war?"

"Nothing." Zoroark's eyes flash as he nuzzles Crystal's neck.

"But-"

"Shh…" The fox whispers. "Just rest and we will talk more in the morning. Right now I just want to relax with my mate and sleep knowing that she is safe in my arms."

Crystal says nothing as Zoroark curls his body protectively but carefully around her. He continues to nuzzle her neck and this action makes Crystal relax. Curse mates and their way of knowing how to make their partners comfortable.

Crystal then lets out a sigh as she rests against her lover. Arguing with him at the moment is the last thing she wants. A few minutes after they relax, Crystal could hear Zoroark's soft snores. Her mind is debating with her heart. Her common sense is telling her that she should do what Zoroark says and stay behind to rest. But deep in her heart, she really wants to go into the battle and fight for the cause she has been aiming for all of her life.

What should she do?

Crystal decides to push aside the question and rests happily against her mate's firm form. She will have her answer by morning, whether her friends like it or not.

**Phew! Finally done! I must say that this chapter was pretty good! I like how it was revolved around Raikou; pretty deep speech too! Just three more chapters to go!**

**Please leave a comment. The first part of the battle will come next! But be warned; several character deaths are coming soon! **


	38. Chapter 38: The War Part One

**Here it is! The beginning of the true war! The moment we have all been waiting for! Be sure to protest against SOPA! I'm hoping that this story will end by the end of February at the latest. The earliest will probably be sometime the next week or by Valentines Day. Not sure, but I need some helpful pointers to make a memorable war! Keep in mind that there will be character deaths; I'm not giving names so you will have to read the next chapter to find out. Enjoy!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 38: The War Part One**

The day has finally arrived.

The day that will determine the world's fate. Tonight, everyone is going to fight for their home and die with honor.

Raikou is greatly surprised when he sees the valley and especially the meadow below the floating island filled with numerous species of Pokémon and humans alike. They are exchanging words with each other as they put on or make various armor for the war that night. Pokémon tribes from all over the globe have flown/run/swam to the island upon the Legendaries' calls and are putting on strong metal armor. Humans with very advanced technology have brought in even their own weaponry, vehicles, and armor for the battle. Even the best of the best trainers such as the Elite Four were here to prepare for combat. Raikou's speech from the night before has obviously influenced the world greatly and the thunder tiger is impressed that his words have boosted everyone's confidence.

He smiles sadly as he sits on the valley's cliff and watches over the massive army. The sky is covered completely by grey clouds and a cool breeze blows through the area. He doesn't think that it would rain today, but the atmosphere does radiate the slight tension that is building within the army.

Everyone is scared, no doubt about that. War is approaching and everyone is afraid for a variety of reasons. For falling under Darkstar's tyranny; for losing their loved ones; for dying.

Dying…

Raikou shudders at the thought of his life passing on so unpleasantly. Even though he is more than quite willing to go through with going to the battlefield, he couldn't help but think about everything that has happened.

He has made mistakes as much as he has helped everyone. Even though he has said that everyone should forgive and forget their past crimes, he cannot forgive himself for what he has done. So many Pokémon have died and suffered through various ways. And the worst part was that most of those cases were beyond the Legendaries' control. Raikou knows that it is because of their nature to never interfere with life (unless it was necessary) that makes both Pokémon and humans fear or even despise the Legendaries. As the creators of the world, shouldn't the Legendaries have a way to stop all the evil and create a pure innocent world?

Raikou blinks at his thoughts. He is starting to sound like Terotrey. If there is one thing he has to credit Terotrey for, it is that the evil spirit is right for stating that the world would be easier if all evil is wiped away and replaced with peace.

Then Raikou remembers Reshiram and Zekrom's words from the night before.

_As much as there is good on Earth, there must be evil in it too. It is what makes us all equal._

The tiger thinks about the words carefully. Alpha and Omega have been around far before the universe was even created. They understand how life revolves and make sure that everything in life is balanced. From the amount of land and water in one planet to the separation of day and night. One death comes and goes as much as another life is born. There is happiness as much as there is sorrow. There is love as much as there is hate. There are differences as much as there are similarities.

Everything is balanced. All good must be balanced by evil.

Realization hits Raikou and his eyes slightly widen when he looks up at the sky.

The Gods are right. Everyone is the same by having equal amounts of good and evil in them. But then that means that Raikou has evil in him as much as Terotrey has good in him. Come to think of it, they have a lot of similar qualities. Determination, resourcefulness, quick thinking, rash behaviors-

Raikou shakes his head furiously. He is NOT going to compare himself to that monstrosity. They may be many things, but they are NOT the same. They have different values and they have made different choices. The only thing Raikou will admit to having in common with Terotrey is that they both have good and evil inside of them and that is all.

Suddenly a gentle rumble breaks the tiger's train of thoughts. He looks up and notices that the air smells wet. He sighs. Maybe he was wrong about it not going to rain…

Raikou shakes his head as it begins to sprinkle. He stands up and turns to walk back to the valley. It is almost late afternoon and he doesn't have his armor on yet.

It is time to be prepared for the worst.

-ooo-

Dusk approaches. The cold evening breeze blows through the army as they line up and march up to the valley. Palkia summons a portal that would take everyone to Darkstar's Realm. After bidding their families and everyone that is unable to fight farewell, everyone anxiously but bravely march through the portal.

Before the departure, it was almost impossible forcing Crystal to stay behind. Zoroark has expressed his concern for Crystal's health to the heroes and everyone agreed that it would be best for Crystal to not participate in the war. Should anything happen to Arceus or Lily, then Crystal is the last link to keep the balance of the world intact. The Grovyle was furious about the decision and tried to persuade everyone otherwise. It was useless; everyone stubbornly refused to listen to her and left to prepare for battle. Crystal's temper was so extreme that she almost destroyed the medical room. Thus, several of the more powerful commanders had to pin her down and (a bit regretfully) sedate her. Violet was told to stay behind with Crystal for safety precautions (but mainly to make sure that Crystal doesn't try to sneak into the realm). Although upset about not being able to 'kick some metallic asses', Violet agrees to protect the princess with her life.

Several of the armored Legendaries lead the army through the portal and wait as everyone lands on a suspiciously large landmass in the middle of nowhere. As they settle in and wait for the other soldiers to jump in, everyone looks around their new surrounding with slight fear, bewilderment, and anxiety. The skies are rapidly swirling with different colors of black, purple, and now dark blue and a strong breeze blows through the army. They are in what appears to be an empty desert that has nothing but large dunes as far as the land can see.

The heroes have decided that they would have a better advantage if they attack Darkstar in his own realm for a variety of reasons. For one, Darkstar has taken over the dimension after his exile and has no doubt found ways to control everything inside of it. However, the heroes believe that he can control one thing at a time and so decide to separate the army into different sections of the realm. That way, Terotrey will have a lot of difficulty focusing on attacking one particular spot when there are so many soldiers against him. He may have control over his realm, but he has no control over anything that was born _outside_ of the realm.

Secondly, the heroes believe that there is a secret laboratory in the realm where Darkstar can control the robots (like he did a month ago, only it was hidden in the mountains instead). About a day ago, the human scientists have lost control and all of the cybertronic robots that were being studied have escaped. No doubt Darkstar has somehow possessed them into formulating a plan to return to his realm. After being told of the news, the heroes have a suspicion that Darkstar might know that he is going to be ambushed. So while the war rages on, the heroes can sneak through the realm and find the building. After they deactivate the control panel, they might be lucky and snap the mind control out of the robots. But if the worst should happen, then most of those robots probably won't either react or survive.

Soon the last bit of the army finally jumps in. Raikou gulps when Palkia closes the portal and separates the army from the real world. From their home.

He feels a nudge on his arm and turns to see Suicune giving him a brave smile. Raikou forces himself to smile back. He isn't going to back down from the battle, especially in front of her.

Everything is silent excluding a few murmurs from the army. Just as Arceus is about to consider which direction to go towards, there is a sudden rumbling sound. Everyone turns quiet and looks around as the rumbling grows louder. Raikou squints his eyes and looks ahead when he sees the sand suddenly forming waves. His eyes widen.

Without warning, a powerful force pushes through the army. Everyone lets out shrieks as they topple backwards. They begin to stand up when another force pushes them back again with even more power.

"What the hell?" Darkrai blinks after Cresselia and Ribo help him up. He brushes sand off his arms as he looks around cautiously.

Just as someone is about to say something else, another rumbling noise erupts. Everyone panics when a massive earthquake shakes the entire area. The flying Pokémon move as high into the sky as they could reach while the land Pokémon stumble backwards. Everyone screams in panic when the land begins to divide into two and the tremor grows worse. The sand disappears under the divided lands and everyone hangs on to whatever they can latch onto for their lives. The heroes watch as the land begins to take a different shape when all the sand disappears and soon a new surface emerges.

As soon as it's all over, the shaken army looks around their new surrounding with wide eyes. They are now in what appears to be a land made of charcoal and dirt. There are several craters and some slopes around. It literally looks like a wasteland; the only difference is that the heroes can feel something evil lurking inside the atmosphere.

"Hey! Up ahead!" A voice shouts out. The heroes look up and every fiber of their being turns still when they see a terrifying scene.

Terotrey is in his human disguise before a massive army of at least ten thousand cybertronic robots. As the demon stares at the opposing army with his arms behind him and a smug smirk on his lips, the robots are snarling as they extend their silver weapons.

It looks like Darkstar has indeed been expecting them to come to him.

As everyone stares at the sight with horrific looks, the heroes try to regain their senses and put on brave looks. Raikou could feel his heart pounding with extreme anxiety and he could feel his legs trembling.

His anxiety increases when he notices that Terotrey is walking towards them with only two other beings behind him. But he couldn't determine who or what the duo are. But he does see one of them waving a white flag at the army and raises a brow.

Darkstar wants to have a talk before the battle.

Arceus suddenly turns to Raikou. "Raikou, Darkstar is requesting to speak with us before we engage in combat. As the leader of this army, you must proceed to find out what he wishes to speak about. But under no circumstances are you to believe anything that he says."

"Of course not." Raikou shakes his head. Then he turns to the baffled Pokémon behind him. "I would like to ask Darkrai, Ash, Mewtwo, Deoxys, Jeff, Skyler, Heatran, Drendan, Zoroark, Lily, Raven, and Crystal's commanders to come with me. I won't take any risks in case it is a trap."

Several of the mentioned heroes nod in agreement. Jeff lets out a whoop of excitement from Skyler's head as the Flygon waddles over to his friend's side. The heroes give Raikou brave smiles before they turn to the fearsome army and look at the approaching three beings.

"Right." Darkrai grunts. "Let's go."

-ooo-

After about ten minutes of walking/floating, the heroes finally manage to reach to the middle of the battlefield. The walk seemed longer since the heroes could feel the anxiety increasing in their hearts. As they move closer, they could see Terotrey's form more clearly. The human disguise looks just as it did when they have confronted him the first time. However, they doubt that he is going to fight in such a fragile form; he probably only wishes to appear less intimidating in order to get the talk over with more quickly.

And as they approach closer, they see the two other beings. One of them looks like a black and purple Lucario with sinister black and red eyes. The other being is Eclipso. Raikou snarls when he sees the exile that has caused so much pain to the Grovyle that he cares for as a sister. He feels a hand on his shoulder.

"Easy, Raikou." Darkrai mutters. Raikou glances at the phantom. He could tell that Darkrai despises his younger brother just as much as Raikou does, but he is holding back his anger for the sake of keeping things peaceful with the talk (at the moment).

Soon the opposing leaders stop about five feet away from each other. The wind blows through their forms gently. There is silence before Lacaria inhales sharply. The heroes glance at her and notice that she is staring at the black and purple Lucario with disbelieving eyes. "X'ng?" She murmurs hoarsely.

The Lucario smirks at her comment. "Lovely to know that you still remember me, my dear."

Instinctively, Gallade pushes Lacaria behind him protectively and gives X'ng a very angry yet cautious look. "But if you're X'ng… Shouldn't you be dead?"

X'ng looks at Gallade up and down amusingly. "You must be her new mate. To answer your question, I was one of the few robots that Terotrey experimented on. I won't bore you with the details, so I'll make it short and simple. I'm just as cybertronic as Lacaria and Crystalline are, if not stronger and better. I cannot age and so I cannot die naturally." Then he looks at the frightened Lacaria almost hungrily. "I have almost forgotten how lovely Lacaria looks, especially after our last encounter."

Gallade's eyes flash and he growls as he holds Lacaria behind him protectively. Several of the heroes give the Lucario disgusted glares while Terotrey merely pets X'ng's ears. "Easy, my pet. Don't try to scare our guests away. At least not quite yet."

X'ng snorts and only nods at his master. On Terotrey's other side, Eclipso is staring at anything but at the heroes. His eyes are dark and his shoulders are drooped. He looks almost depressed.

"You wanted to speak with us, Darkstar?" Raikou asks calmly.

Finally the scientist looks at the tiger. Maroon eyes meet with ruby eyes and stare at each other for a long time as they speak. "Yes. I must admit that I'm quite surprised that you have planned to invade my home with such an impressive army. You all must be either very foolish or determined to die under my watch."

"Let me guess…" Darkrai crosses his arms. "You found out about the plan somehow through the humans?"

"Actually, no." Terotrey smiles and places his hands into his coat pockets. "I've been out to find all of my robots when I overheard Raikou's speech through a worldwide broadcast." He smirks at the tiger. "And quite a charismatic speech, I must admit."

Raikou says nothing as he stares at Terotrey carefully.

"I'm also surprised to find out that Crystal isn't here with you." Terotrey smirks as he raises his brows. "Why is that, I wonder?"

The heroes snarl and Zoroark launches forward. However, he is held back by Rocky and Mewtwo. Eclipso flinches when the Grovyle's name is mentioned.

"Through a series of _unfortunate_ events," Raikou rolls his eyes at the statement as he gives Terotrey and Eclipso dark glares. "Crystal is unable to attend to this battle. She is of no concern for you."

"Actually, she _will_ be of _great_ concern for you."

There is silence as everyone blinks. Then the heroes turn around. To their horror and dismay, Crystal is standing before them with armor neatly framing her body. Behind the Grovyle, Violet is catching up to the girl with a distressed look on her face. Crystal marches forward. She ignores her friends' cries of outrage and Violet's protests.

"I'm sorry, guys!" Violet cries as some turn to her. "I tried to hold her back, I really did! But when she woke up, she used her psychic powers to make me untie her-"

Violet's desperate cries are ignored as Crystal stands beside Darkrai and Raikou. She glances at the stunned heroes and smiles before she turns to the opposing leaders. Terotrey and X'ng look mildly surprised while Eclipso looks petrified.

"Crystalline! What are you doing?" Zoroark swings Crystal around to face him. His face is a mixture of fury and panic. "I told you that I didn't want you to come here! Go back!"

"And I told _you_ that I wasn't backing down!" Crystal snaps back. She glares defiantly at the armored fox. "Don't give me a reason to knock you down. I'm angry enough that you had told me to not go, but you had the nerve to suggest the same thing to my friends and made them turn against me!"

"It was for your own good! Just look at yourself; you're still healing!" He gestures to the bruises on the Grovyle's body. Crystal winces when the cut on her stomach begins to swell painfully, but she ignores it.

"Regardless; this is _my_ battle and it's _my _decision! You know that I won't back down from_ any_ battle, and that includes being tied to a bed!" Crystal then raises a brow. "And really, why leave Violet behind with me? She is prone to mind control as much as everyone else is. Next time leave behind someone who _won't_ be affected by my powers!" Crystal couldn't help but smirk at the irony.

"Note taken." Ribo huffs.

Zoroark growls and the lovers exchange a glaring contest. Then Crystal turns to her baffled commanders. "I will deal with you all later." With that threat made, Crystal turns to Terotrey.

"Darkstar." Crystal greets the demon. "I know that you haven't brought us here to have tea and cake. What is it that you want? Cut straight to the point."

The demon blinks before he chuckles. "Smart girl. You know me too well already, Crystalline. Very well. I will make this simple and clear."

Terotrey then breathes deeply as he looks at the heroes. "We don't have to be enemies. We all aim for the same thing; peace. Join me and help me rule the Earth. We can make the perfect world together."

"Yeah, not gonna happen." Lily steps up with her arms crossed. Raven stands beside her as they stare at the demon. "Never in a thousand millenniums."

Terotrey stares at the duo for the longest time. "Raven. Lily." His eyes glow a bit. "So this is what you two have been doing all this time. I'm not that surprised to see you here, honestly."

His eyes flash at Lily's lavender eyes before he stares intently at Raven. "I expected more from my own son, if anything. I would have thought some sense would tell you that it would be wiser to be with the stronger force."

"Are you stronger? Possibly." Raven says coolly as he places a hand on Lily's shoulder. "But are you the better choice? No. I have chosen which side I will be staying with permanently. Nothing you say or do will change my mind. I am your son, but I am not you."

Terotrey stares at his child incredulously before he sighs. "If that is what you have chosen, then so be it. But I digress…" Terotrey shakes his head in disappointment before he turns to the Legendaries. "Will any of you join me for my cause? You have my word that no harm will befall you."

"Darkstar, I have known you long enough to know that that is Tauros crap." Raikou narrows his eyes. "You are many things but a man to his word. We have no guarantee that you will keep your promise even if we do accept your offer."

"You're right; I have no proof." Terotrey nods grimly. "But isn't perfection what you desire? Peace on Earth forever? If you think about it, we are striving to create a perfect world. Why should we have to fight because our morals are slightly different?"

"Nothing is perfect, Darkstar." Crystal's eyes are fixed sourly onto the demon. "You should know that better than anyone else."

"That is why I am fighting to fix it!" Darkstar hisses. "Everything I have done has been done for the good of the world!"

"You call taking away so many lives and even transforming innocent Pokémon into robots the good of the world?" Mewtwo raises a brow.

Terotrey's stare is firm. "Some Pokémon need to understand that sacrifices are efficient for a noble cause."

"Noble cause my ass!" Jeff shouts. He jumps off Skyler's head and glares angrily up at the bemused demon. Without warning, the small flower lets out a shout and charges forward. He unceremoniously begins to punch the demon's legs with his small flower hands. Several heroes stare bewilderedly at the determined flower while Terotrey and X'ng look amused.

"My, my… Doesn't this little rose have such sharp thorns?" The scientist says sarcastically as he picks Jeff up by his collar. The Roselia spins around as he tries to punch the demon on the face. However, Terotrey only flings him away and Jeff lets out a startled cry. Skyler catches the Roselia in his arms and holds the flowery being as Jeff struggles. "Easy, mate…" He gives Terotrey a dark glare.

Crystal and Raikou turn to face Terotrey. "Our answer is no, Darkstar. We will never consider joining forces with you." Raikou says calmly.

Terotrey frowns darkly at the duo. "I see… Well, that is a shame. You two in particular would have made a nice addition to my army. But do you really think that you have any chance to stop me and my army of indestructible robots?"

"We know that you have control over them completely only through a mind control machine." Crystal snorts. "Like all robots, they will only obey you unless that machine is destroyed. We know you have that machine hidden around here somewhere and we _will_ find it and destroy it."

"Crystalline…" Eclipso speaks for the first time in a quiet voice. Crystal turns to him and flinches when she sees his red eyes gazing into hers. However, she puts up a stony expression regardless of how sad or weak the clone looks. "There is no such machine anymore."

"What do you mean?" Raikou demands.

Eclipso lets out a shuddery breath and wraps his arms around himself. He seems to be trembling from emotion. "Terotrey has destroyed the lab after he transformed us exiles into cybertronic robots. He knew that you would think of such a theory and decided to take an alternative. He has transmitted a mere tiny machine inside of him that would give him full control over us. He programmed the machine to shut down all of his active robots should anything happen to him."

Darkrai's eyes widen. "Are you saying that if we defeat Darkstar, then all of you will die?"

"Precisely." Terotrey cuts in with a proud smirk on his face. "That is, if you actually defeat me. Are you really going to go through such lengths to take down an army of innocent Pokémon that have no idea of what will happen to them?"

Furious, the heroes say nothing as they glare at the demon. Terotrey's smirk widens. "Whatever you decide is no concern of mine. That is all I have to say to you. Choose wisely."

With that said, Terotrey turns on his heel and walks away. X'ng follows after him quickly. Eclipso remains behind to stare at Crystal with a forlorn expression.

Suddenly the phantom floats forward and places his arms around Crystal with a tight hug. Crystal freezes in shock and fear while the heroes let out shouts and step up to defend the Grovyle. But to their surprise, Zoroark holds them back. He stares at the phantom thoughtfully.

Zoroark has done nothing but glare viciously at the phantom during the entire talk. However, his anger slowly begins to diminish when he sees the phantom's expression and overhears his thoughts. The phantom is practically torn up emotionally and physically. After his encounter with Crystal, Eclipso was released from Darkstar's hold and the phantom was overwhelmed with horror, grief, and shame by what he has been forced to do. The phantom has done nothing but sit in a cold corner of his cell and lamented over his worst crime. He has literally beaten himself up and cried until he fainted from stress and exhaustion. When he woke up, he would repeat the process until Darkstar announced that war was approaching and that all of the robots are to move out. To say that Eclipso was a complete wreck was an understatement. He looked even more ghastly in his weak position than he was as a Legendary. The phantom was broken beyond repair and he would never forgive himself for the pain he has placed upon Crystal.

Zoroark knows that it is foolish to leave Crystal with the phantom alone, but he couldn't help but have a sense of respect for the phantom. After all, the phantom did raise and protect Crystal most of her life before Terotrey captured them. Besides, it was Darkstar the fox despises the most. The evil demon has possessed the phantom into raping Crystal, and thus Eclipso was not the one to blame completely.

For both Eclipso and Crystal's sake, they need to make amends before they ultimately face each other in the battlefield.

"Let them have a moment." Zoroark says quietly. Everyone gives the fox a look of pure disbelief. He glares at them and his eyes glow red warningly. Everyone hesitates before they glance at the duo. Then they sigh and turn to leave.

As Eclipso trembles and weeps silently, Crystal tries to move out of his hold. Zoroark walks up to them and places a paw on the phantom's shoulder. When Eclipso looks up slowly, Zoroark winces at seeing the bruises and cuts he gave himself, particularly around his metallic appendages.

Blue eyes meet with dull copper eyes. They stare at each other for the longest time and Crystal wonders what the fox is doing until Zoroark's expression grows stern. "I am trusting you one more time to not harm Crystalline while you are alone. Make your amends quickly and then leave."

Eclipso and Crystal both hold looks of disbelief and slight fear. Zoroark gives Crystal a tender look and kisses her forehead before he turns to leave. Crystal could feel her heart beating faster when she realizes that the fox is leaving her alone with the person who has given her the worst pain that she could imagine.

Crystal watches her friends leave before she gulps and turns to face Eclipso. Zoroark obviously wishes for them to make amends with each other before they fight. But how could she? The one friend that was dearest to her is now the very person that she fears greatly other than Darkstar. The person that she trusts in all the world is her second worst enemy.

The duo stare at each other for the longest time, unsure of where to start. Finally Eclipso speaks. "Crystalline… I…" He couldn't find anything else to say and turns away.

Crystal sighs and crosses her arms. "Eclipso… My mate must have read your mind to know the pain that you must be feeling. Hence, he must have known that you wouldn't do anything to hurt me intentionally and wants us to try to fix our relationship. Darkstar won't try anything until the war starts. So this will be the only safe moment that we have together."

"Crystal, that is the problem." Eclipso shakes his head sadly. "You have never been safe with me to begin with. I have failed to see that until now. Everything that I have done… I was serious when I said that it probably would have been best if we weren't friends. Look at where it has gotten us."

Crystal's eyes dim. "Eclipso… About that night-"

"Don't remind me of that…" Eclipso almost begs as he closes his eyes tightly. "I know what I have done is unforgiveable. I don't deserve your forgiveness."

Crystal frowns deeply before she steps forward and makes the phantom look at her. Her gold eyes flash while his copper eyes begin to tear up again. "Eclipso… I want you to know that I understand that Darkstar forced you into doing that to me. It was not completely your fault."

"But it is…" Eclipso whispers. "I gave in to his order instead of fighting… I was so weak…"

"Regardless, I want you to know that although I understand the situation, I cannot completely forgive you." Eclipso's face falls as Crystal continues. "You have hurt me in many ways beside the rape. My trust in you has fallen after you tried to stop me from being with Zoroark. You spoke so many words to me that have ripped me apart."

Crystal's expression is sad but she smiles weakly. "I guess if Darkstar has never been involved with our lives, this never would have happened."

Eclipso says nothing but lets out a weak sigh. "I… Understand, Crystalline. And I accept your decision without any hesitation. But might I ask for one last request?"

Crystal's eyes furrow and she stares at the phantom suspiciously.

"If you ever find me still standing in the battlefield, then do not hesitate to strike me down and kill me. Put me out of my misery."

Crystal's eyes almost bulge and she looks speechless. Eclipso's expression is serious as he continues. "I have come to the end of my time, Crystalline. You and I know that I will not survive this battle. But for my dying wish, I wish to see my dearest friend beside me. If I could let anyone take my life, then it would be you. I have caused so much mischief in this world and I wish to be dead and free from my pain. It would assure me that I would never hurt you again."

Crystal's eyes begin to dwell with tears. "Eclipso, I-"

"Promise me, Crystalline." Eclipso acts mature as he places his hands on Crystal's shoulders. He gives her a fierce yet pleading look through his tears. "Promise me that you'll fulfill this wish. For old time's sake."

Crystal couldn't help it. Feeling like a child again, she lets out a cry and wraps her arms tightly around Eclipso. Eclipso inhales sharply, not quite expecting such a response from his brave and strong crush. But as Crystal cries onto his shoulder, Eclipso couldn't help but smile as he returns the hug. This was more than he has ever hoped to receive.

Eclipso and Crystal relish their hug for a long time before they pull away. Crystal wipes the remains of her tears away and nods. Eclipso smiles. "That's my girl."

The duo stare at each other for a long time before Eclipso lets go of Crystal and turns to leave. He could feel his heart plummeting deeper and deeper into his soul as he floats away from Crystal.

"Wait! Eclipso!" Crystal cries. Eclipso pauses and turns to look at Crystal questionably. The Grovyle walks up to the phantom and hesitates. Eclipso blinks when he notices that she flushes a bit.

"What if I told you that… Um…" She plays with her headblade bashfully. Eclipso remembered seeing her do that when she was younger and it was such an endearing sight. "That I might have… Harbored feelings for you too?"

Crystal could have sworn that she has never seen the phantom look so stiff. His eyes were so wide that they threatened to bulge out of their sockets and he was gaping at her incredulously. He wondered if she was pulling off a sick joke before he murmurs hoarsely, "For how long?"

Crystal smiles a bit sheepishly. "To tell you the truth… It started as a crush after I took the form of a Grovyle."

"That long?" Eclipso couldn't help but raise his voice. It was almost comical seeing him getting so worked up.

"Yeah…" Crystal suddenly looks uncomfortable. "But I knew that our age difference would get in the way. And after Darkstar captured us, I never thought it would be possible. My feelings began to fade away after I escaped and then…" She looks away.

"… And then Zoroark arrived." Eclipso couldn't help but be disappointed. He sighs. "It looks like we were never meant to be, were we?"

Crystal smiles sadly. "I guess not…"

Awkward silence. Then Crystal steps up and takes Eclipso's hand. "E, I need to know… Will I see you again in the afterlife?"

Eclipso shrugs. "I'm not sure… Alpha and Omega wouldn't be too pleased if they know that I raped their granddaughter." Crystal frowns and Eclipso glances at her. He smiles weakly before he holds her hand up to his chest. "But remember that I will always be with you wherever you go. Remember everything that we shared. I won't ever forget you, Crystalline. Ever. I will miss you."

Crystal's eyes begin to tear up again. But she forces herself to fight back her emotions and smiles sadly. "I will miss you too… Lippy."

Eclipso's heart soars at hearing her calling him that. He sees Crystal hesitate before she leans forward and places a gentle kiss on his lips. Eclipso's circuitry almost goes haywire as his emotions get the better of him. He cradles Crystal's face and the duo exchange a passionate kiss.

Crystal doesn't even protest. She gently holds Eclipso's wrists as they continue with their tender moment. As the wind gently blows through their forms, both Pokémon could feel fireworks exploding in their chests as they forget about everything except each other. Eclipso deepens the kiss as he caresses Crystal's face with a tenderness that makes her shiver.

After a few moments, the duo slowly pull away and open their eyes. They gaze at each other softly with small smiles and lean their foreheads against each other. They exhale through their noses quietly and are silent until Eclipso says, "Goodbye, my sweet Crystalline. I love you as my dearest friend and as my godchild."

Crystal smiles weakly. "And I love you as my closest friend and guardian, Eclipso. I'm sorry that we can… Never be more."

"Your friendship is all that I can ask for, Crystal." Eclipso caresses her face softly before he takes her hands and kisses each softly. "It was a blessing to have known you. Zoroark is lucky to have you. He better treat you like the princess you are."

"I know he will." Crystal smiles gently. They continue to hold hands and stare at each other for the longest time. Before they pull away, Crystal murmurs, "Lippy?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for everything. And I… Forgive you."

Eclipso's eyes brighten and glisten with tears. The copper eyes are now ruby with life and he trembles from emotion. However, he responses by squeezing Crystal's hands. He leans forward and Crystal is certain that he was going to kiss her. However, he leans over her ear and whispers, "Thank _you_, Crystalline. For everything."

Crystal blinks as Eclipso then pulls away and turns to leave. He floats a few feet away before he stops to look back at Crystal. He smiles bravely and nods to her before he flies off towards the robotic army before them.

Crystal holds her hands together and tears threaten to fall as she watches Eclipso go. As soon as he is out of sight, Crystal continues to stare at the army for a long time as the wind cascades through her body. Finally remembering that she has her own army to return to, Crystal smiles weakly and nods to herself before she turns and leaves.

-ooo-

"I take it that it went well?" Zoroark smiles as soon as Crystal walks up to the heroes. The heroes notice that Crystal was almost glowing as soon as she reaches them and couldn't help but grin. Their friend is back. The talk with Eclipso must have made her feel at peace.

"It has." Crystal nods. "Now we can-"

Suddenly a loud roar interrupts her. Startled, everyone turns and sees that the robots are cheering as Darkstar glows and slowly takes the form of his terrifying dragon disguise. The dragon turns to face the horrified heroes with a sneer before he lets out a loud roar that shakes the entire land. Then Darkstar flies up and hovers over his army as he gazes at the opposing force. The heroes notice a robot stepping out from the army and aiming something at them. After a few moments, an arrow strikes directly between Rocky and Ribo.

"Holy hell!" The Rhyperior yelps as he steps backward.

Arceus' eyes glow. "It is time." He looks at the heroes. "Are you all ready?"

The heroes notice a change as the wind blows forcefully through them. The echoes of the robots' cheers fill their ears as they stare ahead. They nod to their God and straighten up as they turn to face their army and prepare for the greatest battle in history.

**Cliffhanger! Mwahaha! The battle begins in the next chapter! The scene between Eclipso and Crystal took longer than expected, but I like their last tender moment together. So what do you think overall! Comment please!**


	39. Chapter 39: The War Part Two

**Finally, the second part of the war! This is the true start of the battle! But I must warn you; several deaths are featured here. There are also some slightly graphic scenes in this war. Be prepared for the worst. Other than that, enjoy!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 39: The War Part Two**

The heroes could feel the atmosphere darken as they reevaluate their plans. Now knowing that they have no way of saving the robots from their untimely fates, they decided that they would have to do their best in order to defeat the army. That means that they must not hesitate to kill any of the opponents as they do their best in figuring out how to stop Darkstar. They still believe that Darkstar having only a little control over his realm would be their main advantage.

But they have to find his weakness quickly and destroy it.

The heroes decide to separate the army by two parts. Half of the army will stick on land and attack the tougher land robots. The other half will ride on fliers and strike from the air. Crystal and her closest allies will lead the fliers while Raikou and most Legendaries will fight on land.

Crystal decided that it would be best if everyone uses their strongest powers in order to win, including using their affinities. Regardless of how tiring it might be, they must fight as long and hard as they can in order to protect their homes.

Most of Crystal's allies decide to ride on dragon type fliers. They wait for Raikou's signal as they remain floating in midair. After making sure that the army is ready, Raikou allows Rocky and Bouldarin to give one last speech regarding their destinies. After they finish, the army lets out a roar that almost deafens the tiger's ears.

Suddenly the sky turns pitch black and lightning strikes. Several Pokémon flinch as they stare at the opposite army. To their bewilderment, Darkstar was nowhere in sight. Suddenly the metallic army begins marching forward like silver locusts about to devour a farmland.

Raikou takes a deep gulp before he and the Legendaries march forward. It is time.

The army walks forwards slowly before their pace quickens. As soon as they see the robots charging forward, they charge forward in a sprint. Roars of various creatures and shouts of random humans echo as the two armies collide. Various weapons and techniques are shot while cries of anger or screams of pain fill the dimension.

The fliers dodge the robots attacks with incredible speed while they and their riders shoot random weapons or techniques. Some of the attacks miss while others hit but leave little to some effect on the robots. The land creatures storm forward to tackle down the tougher robots and wrestle each other to the death. The humans use their aircraft or land transportation to bomb or aim at the robots. Their weapons have much more effect on the robots as they leave several dead or several wounded.

So much is happening in less than five minutes. The robots are getting smarter and began to attack the human weapons first. Soon most of the human resources are down while even more Pokémon are brutally massacred. Fliers are easily shot down while the land creatures are bombed, strangled, shot, or sliced down. It seems that each time one robot is taken down, five more appear. The Pokémon are quickly getting distressed by their predicament as their army is slowly shrinking.

But much to Raikou's distress, several of his own close allies are dying…

-ooo-

Crystal pants as the Dragonair that she is riding on dodges several bullets aimed at random directions. Beside her, her allies are also trying to avoid the robots' advancements as they try to keep up with her. The lizard winces when her wounds reopen. She urges the dragon to hide behind a tall cliff. When they are out of sight, Crystal winces at seeing blood seeping from her bandaged stomach.

"Crys! Are you all right?" Zoroark asks as his Pidgeot hovers above the cliff. Several of her other friends stop to look at her worriedly.

"Don't worry about me…" Crystal hisses as her Dragonair resumes floating. "Keep your focus onto the-"

Suddenly several voices shout out. The heroes look aside and watch in horror as Zarko's Pidgeot crashes against Ribo and Gallade's Salamence. The Pokémon scream as they plummet at different directions.

"Ribo! Gallade! Zarko!" Crystal cries. Suddenly Zoroark and Zorua's Pidgeot is shot in the wing and the bird cries out. It ignores Zoroark's protests as it flies away from the bullets. Suddenly the bullets aim directly at the group.

"S**t!" Violet shouts as the Pokémon flee. Crystal hastily urges her Dragonair to move and the dragon swiftly flies away. As she desperately dodges the bullets, Crystal greatly hopes that her friends are be all right.

-ooo-

Gallade screams when his Salamence spins around as it plummets to the ground. It lands harshly on the ground and rolls around while Gallade flies off and lands on his head. He rolls down a slope a bit before he comes to a complete stop. The warrior groans and holds his throbbing head before he hears a roar. He looks up and jumps away when a cybertronic Hitmontop spins towards him. He aims an arrow at the robot's head and shoots at the robot until it stops moving.

Just as Gallade is about to search for his flier, something catches his attention. He sees two orange and silver figures lying in a crumbled heap of rocks. He recognizes the bodies and he could feel his blood grow cold.

"No…" He whispers hoarsely as he runs towards the duo. He dodges several swipes and slices down random robots as he rushes towards the crash site. He looks down and is horrified to see a sharp rock emerging from Ribo's chest. His purple jewel his shattered and blood is flowing heavily from his wound. Zarko has several bullet wounds on his chest and his head is cut.

"Ribo! Zarko! Oh, no!" Gallade puts down his weapons and kneels beside the duo. Ribo is breathing raggedly as his body twitches while Zarko isn't moving at all. He holds Ribo's head up and the psychic groans as he weakly looks up. "Stay with me! Don't die!"

"Gallade…" Ribo's telepathic voice sounded so weak and tired. His eyes flutter as he tries to keep himself awake. "Save them… Trouble…"

"What? What are you talking about…?" Gallade shakily asks.

"Laki needs help… I can sense her distress…" Ribo's eyes roll back to his head as he speaks his last words. "The triplets… X'ng has them… Laki… Help her…"

Ribo lets out his last breath before he falls limp. Gallade shakes his head and tries to wake the psychic up. But when the psychic doesn't, he closes his eyes grimly. "Forgive me, my friend…" Gallade murmurs before he gently places Ribo's head down. He hears a shout and moves aside when a robotic Blastoise strikes at him. As Gallade strikes her down, his mind thinks about what Ribo has told him. His eyes widen in fear and realization before he bolts down the field and begins searching around for his girlfriend. He blocks any strikes aimed at him as he looks around frantically.

Suddenly the scream of a child catches his attention. He screeches into a halt as he looks down a hill and sees Laki crying as she faces X'ng. Gallade feels his chest tighten in anger and panic when he sees the purple Lucario holding a gun over Ria's head as he holds the Riolu triplets by their collars.

Gallade's vision turns red as he sprints down the hill. He couldn't think as he tackles the surprised Lucario down and begins to beat the daylights out of him. The triplets shriek in alarm as they are caught by their mother and the family stares at the fighting men.

"Laki! Take the children and run! Save yourselves!" Gallade orders as he slams his fist against the Lucario's nose. The warrior hears a crack and realizes that he has broken the jackal's snout. He smirks smugly to himself. Good.

Without any hesitation, Lacaria grabs her children and runs for her life to find a place to hide them in.

X'ng snarls as he kicks Gallade off and jumps to his feet. Gallade growls as he holds his sword up while the Lucario summons his own sword from his metallic arm. The men stare at each other for a short while. X'ng sneers. "What do you see in that whore, anyways? She is not worth it. All she is good for is being in a cage and submitting herself to me."

"Don't speak of her that way!" Gallade hisses as he tightens his hold on his sword. He begins shaking from deep anger. "You dare speak so lowly of the mother of your children?"

"Those little squirts are just as pathetic as she is." X'ng snorts as he examines his blade casually. "So naïve and so innocent. So stupid; they don't understand how life truly works. Just like their mother; too lost into their dream world to wake up."

"How did you even get them here?" Gallade demands as his anger is slowly taking over his mind.

"Easy; I snuck them out from your base after they said goodbye to their mother. The moment I told them that I was their father, they followed me here before your pathetic army arrived. It's amusing how excited children get." He smirks. "It's even more amusing seeing Laki beg for their lives. It's almost as endearing as how she begged for me to stop 'hurting' her during our time together in that cell."

That was the last straw. With a shriek of rage, Gallade strikes. X'ng smirks wider as he blocks the strike with his sword and punches Gallade on the face. The force makes Gallade step back and turn away. At that moment, X'ng moves forward and stabs Gallade as soon as the warrior turns to face him. Gallade gasps when the sword stabs his heart and groans when the Lucario pushes the sword deeper until it sticks out from the warrior's back. Blood seeps heavily from the wound as X'ng forces Gallade down onto his back. Gallade tries to remove the weapon but his strength disappears the harder the weapon penetrates him.

"I expected better." X'ng clicks his tongue and shakes his head in a mocking way. As Gallade's eyes flutter to stay open, he sees X'ng sneer. "But don't worry; Laki will join you shortly."

"No…" Gallade gurgles when blood flows from his lips. He holds a hand up as if to stop the Lucario. "Leave them alone…"

"That's a good one." X'ng smirks as he quickly removes the weapon from Gallade's chest. The warrior groans from the removal and his eyes grow dim. "I don't take requests, especially when it concerns that slut."

Gallade tries to say something but his strength diminishes as he releases his last breath and stares at open space. X'ng smirks widely before he turns away.

Suddenly a feminine shriek catches his attention and he looks ahead. His eyes widen in slight surprise when he finds Laki down as she hunches over something. As he moves closer, he notices that one of her heels is bleeding from a shot wound. He also realizes that she is crying hysterically. But compared to her pleading cries, these cries were full of despair and loss.

"_My babies!"_ She wails as X'ng moves to her side and sees the triplets. The trio each have bullets in their chests and their eyes are closed. The mother is rocking the Riolu on her lap as she continues to weep.

X'ng clicks his tongue again and shakes his head as he aims the gun at Laki's head. As he pulls the trigger, he muses on how pathetically easy it was to defeat his old lover. And all because of her love.

-ooo-

Violet growls as she shields herself from a bomb exploding a few feet from her. As the dust flies everywhere, she opens her eyes and looks around with raised brows. Although there is still fighting everywhere, it was as silent as death. Then she realizes that the explosion has deafened her and curses at her luck.

She decides to hide in the shadows as she attacks the robots with her dark affinity. Although this method was quite an advantage, her powers did little to hurt the robots. If anything, it distracted the robots as other Pokémon tackled them down. However, the process drains her energy and she takes a moment to emerge. But just as she does, something shoots her arm.

"AWW F**K!" Violet howls as she clutches her arm. She glares furiously at the shooter and sees X'ng smirking as he reloads his gun and aims it at her. She reacts quickly and fades into the shadows before the next bullet could reach her. She reaches towards the Lucario and tries to grab him to drag him down to the shadows. But to her surprise, he has the dark affinity and is avoiding her advancement. Suddenly he shoots a ball of dark energy at her shadow. Violet screams at the burning impact and emerges. She glances at the burn on her chest and glares at the Lucario.

"Pity that your powers can't help you with this case." X'ng sneers as he walks over to her. "Not even your friends can help you in this case. The ones that are still alive, I mean."

Violet's expression is unreadable as she stares at the Lucario. X'ng frowns. "You have nothing to say about that?"

Violet squints her eyes and leans forward to hear him better. Realization hits the Lucario and he smirks widely. "So it appears that you are deaf. I suppose that it's a good thing." He aims his gun at the phantom. "It means that you won't have to hear your friends' dying screams any longer."

Suddenly several forms tackle against him and he shoots at a completely different target. Violet blinks when she realizes that Team Flame is strangling the Lucario down. But Inferno makes the mistake of focusing on Violet as he points a finger at her. "VIOLET! BEHIND YOU!"

Violet blinks and turns around. Her eyes widen when she sees a cybertronic Bastiodon sprinting towards her. Its head collides with her body and sends her flying several feet away. Her body collides with the wall and Violet screams when she feels several bones in her body breaking. She weakly moves her hands up to feel large holes on her chest. She sees several bone fractures sticking from her flesh.

For the third time in her life, Violet lets out fresh tears as she lies dying. She was so scared and in so much pain. As she watches on, she sees Team Flame finally finishing off X'ng as they stab his chest several times. Unfortunately, they are hoarded by more robots and are brutally beaten to their deaths.

Violet looks up at the sky and sees a Dragonair flying around with a white Grovyle on its back. Violet sniffles. "I'm sorry, Crys… I tried…"

Soon her eyes close and Violet is no more.

-ooo-

"Damn it!" Rocky hisses as he shoots at various robots that are advancing towards his group. He, Scalene, Flame, Shadow, Jeff, Skyler, Ulrik, Drendan, and Heatran are surrounding their unconscious allies as they shoot at approaching robots. "We can't hold them off any longer!"

"Dad!" Flame shouts as he holds his father's head and forces the wounded Charizard to look up at him. The chief has a large wound on his leg and several lacerations across his head. Bouldarin is heavily bruised and his left arm is burned. "Stay with me!"

"Dude! We're going down in deep waters!" Jeff cries as he throws various Petal Dance leaves at the robots. His focus was becoming blurry as a side effect. "And I'm losing my chill!"

Scalene's eyes flash worriedly as she looks at the more approaching robots and back at her husband. Seeing him in such a terrible condition and her son in a terrified state is making her lose her confidence.

Suddenly an idea pops into her mind and she shouts, "Rocky, use your watch and teleport us back to the base!"

"WHAT?" Rocky screams as he shoots a robot on the face. He gives his aunt an incredulous look. "Are you insane? We can't leave this fight; we'll be betraying Crystal and our homes if we desert them!"

"Someone has to heal our men and it can't take place here!" Scalene shot back as she rams her tail at an approaching robot. "I don't know if you realize that our army is shrinking bits by bits! Some of us need to recover! Besides, I won't let my family die! They are all I have left!"

"So what? You are willing to leave Crystal and the others behind?" Rocky narrows his eyes challengingly. Scalene pauses and shakes her head. "Rocky… That is not what I am implying at all. I love Crystal as much as you do, but it is time for all of us to take our own paths. I am not a fighter; I am a healer. What would happen if Terotrey wins this fight? Crystal says that whatever help we have then we must take it! I'm sure that she would understand."

Rocky says nothing as he glances at the robots and back at his father. He looks unsure before Drendan places a paw on his shoulder. "The others and I will hold them off. Take your family and get out of here quickly. Gather as many medics and bring along as many injured soldiers as you can. Scalene is right; we need to do whatever it takes to win this battle."

Rocky stares at the Lucario incredulously before he glances at Heatran, Jeff, Ulrik and Skyler. The four give curt nods before they resume fighting. Rocky finally sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "Goddammit… Fine." He punches a robot away before he scoops his father into his arms and waits for Scalene, Flame, and Shadow to hold up Atsila. He hastily presses the code onto his watch and kicks away robots as he waits for the portal to appear. Soon a small one arrives and the Pokémon retreat into their escapade before the robots could catch them.

Rocky could feel something in his chest tighten as he heard a bomb exploding and the Pokémon crying out for Ulrik and Drendan. He glances back at the closing exit as he roams through the portal with the others at his side. He frowns very sadly. "Crystal, I hope that you'll forgive us if this doesn't work…" Is all he says before he turns back to the entrance to their home.

-ooo-

"Logan! Cotton!" Zoroark shouts into the microphone on his ear. He waits for a response but nothing happens. He hastily jerks his Pidgeot up into the clouds so he wouldn't be spotted as he tries to call out to his allies. "Can you hear me?"

Three figures pop up from the clouds. Zoroark and Zorua are relieved to see that they are Crystal, Lily, and Raven. Lily was riding on Raven's back as the humanoid bird flaps his raven wings to support them in the air. Zoroark's expression turns grim when he receives no response. "Midnight?" He tries. There is also no response from the Absol and this worries Zorua.

"Why…"

"Guys!" Crystal decides to call her friends to see what is happening. She turns away from the other four as she focuses on her earpiece. "Do you read me? Say something!"

There is long silence as Crystal waits for something. The only sound penetrating the silence is the distant gunshots or battle cries. The silence makes Crystal's heart drop. It couldn't be…

"Laki? Ribo? Violet…?" Her voice grows hoarse when nobody responds to her call. "… Anybody…?" Her eyes begin to tear up when cruel realization hits her. "No…"

"Crystal! Are you OK?" Raikou's voice responds to her. Somewhat relieved, Crystal wipes her eyes.

"The robots are getting smarter with their tactics… I'm worried… My friends aren't responding to any of my calls… I think they might be dead…"

"Crystal! Where are you?" Darkrai's voice demands. Crystal lets out a shuddery breath and winces at the loud tone in his voice. "We're getting our asses kicked out here! Ribo and Violet are out of action! Where are the others?"

Crystal's eyes begin to water again. She feels a paw on her shoulder and sees Zoroark's sympathetic frown. Zorua, Lily, and Raven lower their heads slightly. "I think they're dead…" Crystal murmurs.

There is a heavy silence before Darkrai growls. "S**t! I knew that this wasn't gonna be easy, but for Arceus' sake! We don't have much time left! Have you seen Darkstar yet?"

"No…"

"Well, we need to find a way to take him down! I dunno how much longer we can- KID, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!" Crystal winces when she hears screams and bombs exploding in the other line. Suddenly the line turns flat.

"Crystal! Didn't you tell Raikou about what he needed to do?" Lily asks urgently as Raven flies closer to her. Crystal glances at her sister and shakes her head. "Never got the chance to do it."

"Why?"

"Because you all were too busy strapping me to a bed and making sure that I wouldn't come to the damn war!" Crystal snaps as she glares at the suddenly sheepish trio.

The five heroes are unaware that two pairs of glowing red eyes are staring at them from a few feet away. One of the duo lets out a roar and charges forward. Alarmed, the heroes turn around. Zoroark and Zorua shout when Eclipso tackles their Pidgeot down straight towards the ground.

"No!" Crystal cries as she flies down after the group. Lily and Raven stare in bewilderment before a chuckle catches their attention. They turn around and freeze. Darkstar is smirking at them through his dragon form. His eyes glow dangerously bright in contrast to the dark sky.

"_**How ironic is it that my first opponent would be my son and his girlfriend?"**_ He sneers pleasantly.

"You've chosen to hide from the war, you coward," Lily snarls as she clutches her bow tightly. "You are no better than any of your robots."

"_**My dear, you are wrong about that."**_ Suddenly the dragon form disappears and takes the form of a black orb with glowing red eyes. It floats around the duo in a circle as if he is studying them. _**"I am more powerful than all of my robots combined. I have pure raw power that makes even the Legendaries cower under me. It is how I have gotten to where I am today. Nothing will stand in my way."**_

"And that is where _you_ are wrong, _Father_." Raven sneers as he narrows his eyes. "Lily and I will fight you to the death if we have to. We have an army down there that is fighting for a noble cause. We are all against you; doesn't that tell you that we will not serve a false God? We serve Reshiram and Zekrom and no one else."

The orb's expression instantly changes from calm into pure anger. He resumes his dragon form and leans closely to snarl at the duo. Lily looks a bit anxious by his dangerous stare while Raven only stares coolly at his red orbs. _**"You will regret the day that I have taken you both under my watch."**_

Then the demon throws his head back and opens his jaw. Raven's eyes widen when he realizes that his father is preparing a Hyper Beam and hastily flies away just as the demon aims at them.

-ooo-

Crystal breathes heavily as she urges her Dragonair to chase after the phantom that is trying to destroy her mate and his brother. She dodges several bullets and groans when one slices at her cheek. The dragon is moving with such speed that Crystal almost loses her hold when she makes sharp turns. She has never rode a flying being before and plummeting down the sky is making the lizard feel dangerously nauseous.

Suddenly a ray of light shoots several feet away from the group. Alarmed, the fliers stop to watch the explosion. Dust flies everywhere as screams of alarm or pain erupt. The impact leaves a huge crater on the land and several bodies are scattered around the area. The force of the blast sends a huge gust of wind at the fliers and sends them several feet back.

Unfortunately, the distraction makes the robots shoot at the fliers. Several went down while others hastily try to get away. Crystal doesn't notice a robot below her as she flies after the men and the robot shoots at her Dragonair. The dragon screams in pain as her form plummets to the ground. Crystal cries out in alarm and fear as the dragon collides against a few fliers and sends them all down onto the ground. Crystal flies off the Dragonair and lands a few feet away. She rolls around from the force before she comes to a stop.

Feeling her head spin, she groans as she stands up. She regains her focus before she rushes towards her Dragonair. Her stomach tightens in guilt when she realizes that the dragon is down. She pets her snout tenderly. "Forgive me…" She murmurs. She caresses the dragon's form before she sighs and stands up with her bow tightened.

It looks like she has to go on foot from now on.

A strangled roar catches her attention and she snaps her head up to stare at a cliff. Her eyes squint and she realizes that Zoroark is engaged in a hand-combat with Eclipso over the edge. She narrows her eyes and snorts as she rushes towards them.

Meanwhile, Zoroark snarls as he catches the fists of the phantom and holds him back from striking. The duo try to push each other down but are equally strong. Zoroark growls and twirls his body to flip Eclipso over his shoulder.

The fox's eyes were glowing red from rage. He takes a moment to look at the dead Pidgeot several feet away. Under the bird is Zorua, but the small fox has a large wound on his neck. His eyes were closed and blood was seeping profusely from his lethal wound.

Zoroark's eyes tighten at the memory of what Eclipso has done to his brother. Tears pour from his eyes as he bears his fangs at the approaching robot. He never should have let his brother come to the war. His only family is gone and it is thanks to that monster. He never should have had faith in Eclipso; he has brought too much pain for his loved ones. He must pay.

Zoroark lets out another roar as he holds his fists up and slams them down on the ground. A blinding red light flashes as a massive earthquake erupts. The attack makes Eclipso fly back a few feet and Crystal shields her eyes as she dodges the move. She jumps onto the cliff and pauses to stare at the Pidgeot beside her. Her eyes dim when she sees Zorua and fondles with his hair sadly. "Zorua…" Her eyes harden as she glares at Eclipso and Zoroark. She stands up and marches towards them.

This catches Eclipso's attention and he turns to stare at Crystal. Zoroark also notices her and shouts, "Crystal! Stay back!"

Crystal doesn't respond as she stops before the duo. The robot continues to stare at her up and down while Zoroark is practically twitching from anxiety. To their surprise, she places aside her bow and arrows before she approaches the robot slowly. "Lippy, fight back. It doesn't have to end like this…"

Eclipso continues to stare at Crystal with a blank expression. Crystal's eyes brighten in hope and anxiety as she waits for the robot to say something. Zoroark narrows his eyes as he stares at the two cautiously.

Crystal could have sworn that something in Eclipso's eyes change. His expression instantly softens but he still looks tense. "Crystal…?" His voice sounded confused and unsure.

"That's right, Lippy. It's me." Crystal smiles weakly as she holds her arms out and steps closer to the robot. "Fight against Darkstar's control. Do it for me. I promise that we can find a way to fix you. If my two friends could overcome his control…" Crystal winces at the thought of Scalene and Rocky being dead. "… Then I know that we can find a way to fix you too."

Eclipso says nothing. He continues to stare at Crystal for a very long time. Suddenly his body lets out a shudder. "C… Crys…" He shakily opens his arms to her. Crystal smiles very widely and moves towards his embrace. Her happiness overclouded her common sense and she doesn't realize that Eclipso is trying to stop her.

Suddenly Eclipso's eyes turn blank. They flash dangerously red as he cautiously pulls out a dagger from a sheathe on his implanted belt. Zoroark's eyes widen in alarm and he screams as he launches forward to push Crystal away. Unfortunately, the attempt makes Eclipso stab Zoroark's side and impales his heart. Zoroark gasps in pain at the overwhelming sensation seizing his body. But his focus was on Crystal as she sits up and stares with horrified eyes.

Zoroark smiles weakly at her before he lets out a gurgled roar and slices Eclipso's robotic eye. The robot shrieks and steps back to clutch at his wound. He snarls as he narrows his remaining eye at the kneeling fox and holds his dagger up to strike at Zoroark again. Zoroark recoils and closes his eyes to wait for the impact.

Instead, he hears Eclipso crying out in pain. He opens his eyes and sees Eclipso clutching at an arrow implanted in his chest. The robot breaths heavily as he clutches the arrow before looking up. He sees Crystal aiming another arrow at him before she strikes again. The arrow strikes at just below the same area on his chest and Eclipso groans again as he stumbles back. Crystal holds her bow and arrow at bay as she rushes towards Zoroark and looks him over. Zoroark groans as he clutches his wound before he falls down onto his back. He breathes raggedly as Crystal holds his head.

"Zoroark…" Her eyes are wet with tears as the fox slowly looks up at her. "I'm so sorry… This is all my fault… I was a fool to think he'd fight it…"

"Shh… Crystal…" Zoroark murmurs softly as he places a finger over her lips. He holds her hand tightly as she caresses his cheek. His eyes are half-lidded from weariness but he fights to stay awake. "It was my fault for having faith in him… But I know that he still cares for you deeply…"

"How?"

"Talk with him…" Zoroark winces harshly at a burning sensation in his heart. He looks up at Crystal and gives her a look. Crystal cries as she hugs Zoroark tightly. "Please, don't leave me…"

"I'll always be with you, Crys." Zoroark smiles gently as he wraps his arm around her. He kisses her forehead softly. "Just keep fighting. My love… Be strong. Fulfill your destiny. Save… Our home…" he lets out a shuddery breath as he gives Crystal a very weak kiss on the lips. "Save… Our future…"

Soon Zoroark's eyes close and his body grows limp. The color fades on his face and Crystal's eyes tear up more as she cradles his face and places wet kisses all over it. She murmurs soft words as she continues to cry. She has lost not only her mother and dearest friends, but now she has lost the love of her life.

Crystal continues to cry even as she looks up at the fallen form of Eclipso. She could feel her heart breaking even more as she slowly crawls over to the phantom. She places her hand on his chest and stares at the damage she has done. "Lippy… I'm so sorry for everything…" She whimpers as she shakes her head.

"Crys?" The phantom croaks weakly.

Crystal gasps in alarm and stares down at the phantom. His normal eye is staring up at her weakly. Crystal is cautious of the robot and scoots away from his body as she kneels above his form and places his head onto her lap gently. The duo gaze at each other upside down.

"I'm so sorry about Zoroark…" Crystal realizes that the phantom is crying. Real tears are falling from his eye and he looks so weak and tired. "I tried to stop you, but I couldn't. I'm so weak…"

"Lippy…" Crystal started, but he gently places a claw over her lips. He forces himself to smile weakly. "I know. But I am glad that you have granted me my dying wish. Now I can rest in peace…" He hesitates before he leans forward and places a small kiss on Crystal's lips. Crystal responds by deepening the kiss. Eclipso lets out a moan before his body shudders. He gazes up at Crystal lovingly one last time. "Goodbye, Crystal. I love you."

Eclipso's eyes slowly close as the vision of Crystal's tearful expression remains stuck in his memory. Crystal cries again and leans her forehead against his. Everything around her is silent as she mourns over her several losses.

Her mother…

Her best friends…

Her mate…

All of her guardians…

She has nothing left.

Suddenly another ray of light explodes just a few feet over the cliff. Crystal cries out at the large explosion and tightens her hold on the ground as the force blows through her body. Dirt flies into her eyes and temporarily blinds her vision. She blinks and tries to clean out her eyes before she hears a howl.

"LILY! NO, NO, NO! NOT MY LILY!" Crystal is greatly surprised to hear Raven sounding so defeated and looks up. Her eyes widen in absolute horror and panic when she sees Raven hunching over her sister's form a few feet over the edge of the cliff. As she clears her eyes and rushes towards the duo, her stomach tightens at the sight. Several parts of Lily's body are burnt to the bone. Her face was barely recognizable because it was heavily bruised and burnt. There was a deep hole in her chest and her blades are almost completely burned. The lizard was unconscious and Crystal had no doubt that her sister might be dead.

But surprisingly enough, Crystal was calm about the situation when an idea came to her mind. It would be risky in her and Lily's part. However, if it works then it should benefit her as much as it will benefit Lily. Crystal knows that either she or her sister have to live in order to keep the world balanced. They both have Reshiram and Zekrom's essences inside them. There is no way both can survive; Crystal is sure that she will die in this battle. Even if she doesn't, she has no other plans for what to do in the future.

But she knows that whatever happens in the future, she wants to share it with the people she loves. But since they are all gone, she has nothing left. And she couldn't let her sister die in such a gruesome way. Especially when someone who loves her deeply is still alive.

Crystal turns to Raven as he continues cradling Lily's form. "Raven, do you love my sister?"

Raven looks up at Crystal with the most heartbroken expression she has ever seen on a face. He looked like a beaten puppy; full of despair, isolation, and loss. "More than anything in this world. She is my life. I am nothing without her…"

Crystal breathes deeply and nods slowly. "In that case… Listen to me carefully. No matter what happens, do not stop me. And promise me that you will always cherish Lily for the rest of your life. Bear her a family and be there for her. Protect our world as I would. Protect the balance of life."

Raven blinks several times. "What do you-"

"Promise me." Crystal's expression was hard as she stares intently at Raven. Raven couldn't help but wonder what the girl is planning, but he trusts her instincts. He swallows deeply and nods. "I promise on behalf of my soul, Crystal."

Crystal smiles. "Good." Then she turns away and presses a button on her microphone earpiece. "Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash… Come find me. I have a plan."

-ooo-

Raikou and Darkrai pant as they run/float through the massive battlefield. Ash clings onto Raikou's back tightly as he aims an arrow at various flying robots while the Legendaries shoot various techniques at their opponents. They move as fast as they can as they look for the location that Crystal has described to them through their earpiece microphones. Although exhausted, the trio's hearts are soaring with hope by what Crystal has planned. They just hope that whatever she is thinking will work.

Cresselia, Jeff, Skyler, Entei, and Suicune all stay close to the trio upon Crystal's request. The boys are wondering why Crystal has asked for the specified Pokémon to come along; she said that they would help her go through with her plan.

The group hastily swipe down any robot in their path as they climb/float up to the cliff. Their eyes flash in relief when they find Crystal. But when their gaze turn to Raven cradling Lily, their eyes widen. "…!"

"Lily!" Raikou cries. He turns to Crystal. "What-"

"There's no time to explain." Crystal shakes her head as she turns to the boys. A bomb explodes a few feet from them and they flinch. Crystal hisses before she speaks again. "I need to know something. How far are you guys willing to go through to stop Darkstar?"

Was she joking? The boys raise their brows. "I think that going to war to stop his army answers your question, Crystal." Darkrai snootily replies. He hesitates when Crystal gives him a very hard glare.

"If it means sacrificing our souls to save the world, then so be it." Raikou sighs. To his surprise, Crystal smiles. "That's just the answer I needed."

She turns to the group and points at Raven and Lily. "I need you all to form a circle around Lily and Raven."

The Pokémon raise their brows before they shrug and do what she says. Crystal makes sure that each person is equally spread apart before she pulls Ash into the circle right next to the couple.

"Crystal, would you care to explain what your plan is?" Darkrai asks impatiently. "We are running out of time!"

"I know that!" Crystal hisses as she gestures Ash to sit between Raven and Lily. Once they are settled down, she nods in approval before she walks out of the circle. "Do you remember what I said about performing rituals to call out to spirits with our essences or affinities?"

Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash nod while the others tilt their heads in confusion. "I have a theory, but it's very risky. I can perform a ritual to call out all of the spirits that are lingering in this dimension and form them into one powerful essence that we can use to knock down Darkstar."

Jeff's eyes grew so wide that Crystal thought they would budge out of his sockets. "Dude, are you saying that if we perform this ritual, then we can use all of the dead dudes' spirits to destroy the robots and Terotrey? Basically like forming a ginormous Aura Sphere?"

Crystal blinks before she smiles. "That's one way of putting it."

"Could we do that…?" Cresselia tilts her head in confusion. Her eyes look skeptical. "I'm afraid that such an attack would require lots of power."

"Exactly. All it needs are the seven affinities at their highest quota, an aura user, and at least two Legendaries." Crystal gestures to the group. "That's why I brought you all here; you each have a powerful gift. Cresselia has the affinity of light; Darkrai has the affinity of darkness; Jeff has the affinity of Earth; Jeff has the affinity of air; Entei has the affinity of fire; Suicune has the affinity of water; Raikou has the affinity of electricity; and Ash is an aura user." She smiles widely. "You all qualify for this power to work."

"Wait a moment…" Darkrai holds a hand up. He looks very skeptical. "This move sounds too powerful to go through. What's the catch? What would happen to us if we activate it?"

Crystal suddenly frowns. "I am not entirely sure. But my best bet is that it would drain our energy or even completely remove our affinities."

"You must be joking! We could lose all of our powers through this?" Raikou's eyes were wide with disbelief. Crystal nods before she hesitates. "And…"

"'And'?" Ash urges. What more could there be?

Crystal sighs. "This move will require a lot of concentration and movement. Because of that, I believe that at least four bearers need to control it. One of them is the aura user, the ritual performer, and two Legendaries." She glances at Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash pointedly. The trio stare until realization hits them.

"You mean us?" Raikou points at himself. He suddenly feels shaky when he sees Crystal's unsure look. "But if _we _control it… What would happen to us…?"

"I do not know for certain… But I doubt that it will be pleasant. Since your souls will be controlling a large mass of other souls, you will be more fragile than ever. The process could leave you very weak. But if something impales your souls, it will shatter… Just as mine and Zoroark's did." Crystal closes her eyes sadly when her heart aches at the thought of her deceased mate.

Raikou didn't have the urge to stand anymore. He sat down and stares at the ground while Raikou and Ash run their hands through their hair. They look like the life was drained out of them.

"NO!" Suicune shouts as she stomps towards the lizard with a fierce glare. "You're telling us that the boys won't possibly survive from this attack?"

"They can't do it!" Skyler cries as his tail twitches in anxiety. "We need to find another way!"

Raikou continues to stare at the ground before he closes his eyes and stands up. "I don't know if this will work…" Everyone turns to him in surprise. "But it's the best shot that we have. We got to do whatever it takes to stop Darkstar before it's too late." He walks over to Crystal and places his paw on her shoulder. "Even if it means sacrificing ourselves."

"Raikou…" Entei stares at Raikou in awe and uncertainty. "… Are you sure about this?"

"As sure as I will ever be." Raikou nods. Crystal smiles a bit weakly at him and the tiger returns the smile before he looks at the others. "Are you with us?"

There is silence as everyone stares at the duo. Finally, Darkrai and Ash sigh as they place their hands over Raikou's paw. "We'll do it."

-ooo-

It took a short time to convince the others to let the boys go through with the plan. Cresselia, Suicune, and Jeff were crying up a storm as they plead for Raikou and Darkrai to change their minds. But knowing that the boys are willing to do whatever it takes to protect everyone's future, the girls have a final private but tender moment with their lovers. Cresselia and Darkrai hold each other tightly as they bid their goodbyes while Raikou nuzzles against his counterparts, Jeff, and Skyler with a final goodbye. He gives Suicune a lick on the cheek before the group reforms their circle.

Crystal inhales deeply before she looks around. Their army was growing smaller by every second. She needs to be quick. She looks up at the sky and holds her arms up.

"Great spirits of the afterlife and those amongst us," She says loud and calmly. "I call upon you and the great seven affinities of life amongst this circle!"

Suddenly a large gust of wind blows through the heroes. The black clouds seem to swirl around the heroes as Crystal continues with her ritual. She holds a hand over her chest. "I ask that all those that are still lingering to join me in forming a spiritual essence to purify all the evil within this realm!"

There is a flash of lightning before the ground begins to shake. Suddenly several glowing orbs begin to rise from the ground and form a large sphere above the circle. The heroes stare in awe while the robots stare in confusion. Crystal proceeds to quickly call out to the affinities.

"Affinity of water, purify all of the souls! Ease away their guilt and shameless crimes to let them rest in peace!"

"Affinity of fire, burn away all the evil within the tainted! Warm the cores of those who have fought for a noble cause!"

"Affinity of electricity, seize all of the anger and hatred plagued in the hearts! Fry away all of the deception!"

"Affinity of Earth, shield us with Mother Earth's love! Ensure a safe and welcoming environment that we call home!"

"Affinity of air, let us breathe in your essence! You provide us with all of our strength and needs!"

"Affinity of light, protect the souls during this ritual! See that no soul will come out unharmed and rest in peace with their loved ones!"

"Affinity of darkness, ease the hatred and difference between all beings! Let love and equality be shared between you and your counterpart affinity!"

Soon various colors of beams of light shoot at the slowly growing large orb. The affinity givers groan tiredly as they use their affinities at their maximum power. Ash and Raven stare up in awe at the orb as it finally takes a final form of a glowing blue orb with aurora-like reflections. The heroes drop down to their knees in exhaustion and breathe heavily when they finish.

All of the Legendaries and surviving soldiers rush up to the cliff to see what is going on. Arceus' eyes were wide in shock while everyone else was trying to figure out what is going on. Crystal walks over to Darkrai and Raikou and helps them stand up. She smiles. "Are you boys ready?"

The boys breathe deeply before they stand up and nod to her. As Crystal walks below the glowing orb, Raikou and Darkrai look back at their close allies standing a few feet away. Suicune and Cresselia tearfully smile at them while the others look bewildered or encourage him on. They smile at their allies one last time before they stand beside Ash and Crystal and stare up at the orb. Crystal holds her hands up to the orb and a ray of light shines at them. The boys cry out when they feel their forms floating up towards the large mass of energy and they could hear their allies crying out in alarm. They glance at Crystal and see her smiling at them with reassurance.

The boys inhale deeply as they enter the orb. They close their eyes tightly as they feel several things brushing through their bodies at once. Some touches were uncomfortable while others were almost soothing. Suddenly the heroes are blinded by an explosion of light. Everyone covers their eyes as the whole dimension seems to be shaking. But as soon as the light is gone, everyone looks up and sees the boys and Crystal gone.

But to their confusion, a small ghostly blue orb has replaced the giant glowing orb from before. It floats slowly around the bewildered army before it makes its way towards Raven and Lily. Raven cautiously holds Lily close to him as the orb levitates just above her chest. Suddenly white wavy substance flows from the orb and the cool sensation surrounds Lily's body. Soon her whole body is engulfed by white fog before it evaporates. To Raven's astonishment, Lily's body is perfectly healed. It looks as if she is sleeping.

Lily suddenly groans and Raven's heart stops when she flutters her eyes open. She looks up at his face and smiles. "Hey…"

Raven couldn't think of anything except of the sudden happiness that overwhelmed him. He sobs as he holds Lily tightly and places kisses all over her face. Bewildered, Lily stares at him and looks at the others for help. They look just as perplexed as she does.

"_**Treasure each moment with each other."**_ A voice suddenly says. Or rather, what sounded like a variety of voices says. Startled, everyone looks around until they stare at the orb. It floats in front of Raven and Lily meaningfully. _**"Never forget what has occurred in this realm. Relish the time you all had with your allies and loved ones."**_ It suddenly focuses on Lily. _**"Crystal has sacrificed her soul to ensure that you would go on with your own life. Don't let her and everyone else's departure be in vain."**_

Lily says nothing but blinks as the orb floats towards the sky. It disappears through the black clouds as everyone watches it go. Raven helps Lily stand up and they stare at the direction where the orb disappeared in. Lily's eyes water as she smiles sadly. "Thank you, Crystal… And good luck, boys…"

-ooo-

"_**What kind of magic is this?"**_ Darkstar hisses as a small orb floats towards him. He raises a brow while his remaining robots snarl at the orb. The orb stops a few feet away from him.

"_**Not magic, Darkstar."**_ A variety of voices says. Darkstar raises a brow at the orb. _**"The time of war is over; we must start a new beginning for a better world. But that does not include you being a God; you have done too much wrong to even be considered a living being."**_

"_**EXCUSE ME?"**_ Darkstar growls. His expression is livid as he snarls. _**"HOW DARE YOU-"**_

"_**We dare for the sake of all those who are dead and living."**_

"_**We?"**_ Darkstar blinks.

"_**Yes, we. We all have joined our spirits for the cause of destroying you, Darkstar. As you know, only another spirit can destroy another…"**_

Darkstar's expression was unreadable although there was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. Suddenly he lets out a loud roar and laughs. _**"What? You think that such a puny form will be able to stop me? Or even all of my robots?"**_

"_**Let us find out."**_

Suddenly the orb disappears in a flash. Darkstar blinks when he sees the orb flying at random directions with unbelievable speed. He looks down and is startled to see his robots crying out as they shatter into dust when the orb brushes past them. Several glowing orbs emerge from the robots and fuse with the ghostly orb as it continues its ambush.

"_**W-What?"**_ Startled, Darkstar floats back and scrunches his dragon-like face in confusion. The small orb was making all of his robots deteriorate and it wasn't even touching them! In a few seconds flat, all of the robots are gone and dust flies everywhere as the orb finishes its work. It floats up to a stupefied dragon.

"_**Confident now?"**_ The orb has a smug tone. Darkstar stares at the orb before his eyes flash furiously.

"_**ENOUGH! THIS ENDS NOW!"**_ The dragon throws his head back and prepares a powerful Hyper Beam. The orb simply moves aside when the dragon fires and the blast impales the land far below them. They could hear the cries of some survivors but ignore it as they focus on each other.

"_**The old man is losing his touch."**_ The orb chuckles as it floats around the furious dragon. _**"But before things get too messy, we have a message from a few acquaintances of yours. Raikou, Darkrai, Ash, and Crystal send their regards to you."**_

"_**Regards?"**_ Darkstar stares incredulously.

"_**Although they still despise you and distrust you, they have forgiven you for all of your crimes."**_ Darkstar looks almost stunned. _**"It is amazing considering what you have done to them."**_

"_**But how?" **_To say that the dragon looked stunned was an understatement; he looked stupefied._** "I've done so much to them. I've taken away Darkrai's children. I've tortured them with unspeakable pain and taken away their friends and family. How could they have found peace through all of that? I practically scarred them for life…"**_

"_**They have chosen to let go of the past and to focus on the future. As should you. Your anger towards Reshiram and Zekrom has blinded you from creating what could possibly be a beautiful world filled with happiness and peace. It even makes you kill to get what you want but you fail to realize that your decisions have made you what you are now. You continue to do this, then you will forever be viewed as a monster and a tyrant."**_

Darkstar is silent as he stares at the orb for a very long time. He exhales deeply as he lowers his head. _**"I suppose you're right… I make my own decisions…"**_ He suddenly opens his eyes and snarls viciously at the orb as he holds his claw up. _**"And I choose this!"**_

He swipes at the orb. The attack sends the orb back several feet and tiny various orbs diffuse from it before they fuse together once more. The orb floats towards the dragon. _**"As you wish."**_

Then the two forms begin to attack each other. Or rather, Darkstar was chasing after the orb and shooting random attacks that he could fire at it. The orb gracefully dodges all the moves even when Darkstar summons fire pillars from the ground. He tries to make lightning strike at the orb but the orb's reflexes were too quick.

Just a few miles away, the survivors watch the battle with anticipation. Suddenly Jeff whoops as he shakes his flowery fists. "WHOO! KICK THAT DRAGON'S ASS, RAIKOU! FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE, DUDE!"

"NEVER SURRENDER!" Skyler calls out. He flaps his wings and performs several twirls. Jeff hangs onto his antennas tightly even though he continues cheering.

The duo continue to cheer for a while before the other survivors join in the cheering. Their cries and whistles echo as the orb and dragon continue to dance around in the skies.

Arceus, who is one of the few Legendaries that is not cheering, watches the battle with glowing gold eyes. "Don't give up… We believe in you."

Darkstar was growing weary from attempting to shoot at the orb and from flying around for so long. His speed is starting to slow down as he breathes raggedly. He finally lands on a cliff to take a rest. He grunts and hisses in annoyance. Just as he is catching his breath, a blue beam shoots at him. Darkstar screams when a part of his body burns from the blast. He looks up with wide eyes and sees the orb floating towards him as it shoots more orbs. Darkstar continues crying out as the beams hit him and tries to fly out. However, the orb enshrouds him with light energy as it circles around his form. As the orb continues spinning around him, Darkstar's form begins to morph back into his true dark form. His smoky form continues spinning around from the force until the orb stops to float a distance away. Then it bolts straight towards the demon. It collides with Darkstar in a large flash of light. Several screams of pain come from the demon and the orb as both sides begin to fade. Darkstar's ghostly form is slowly turning into chunks of dust as he plummets to the ground. His eyes reflect pain as his whole form transforms into dust and disappears in the wind.

There is tense silence as everyone hold their breaths and watch. When they see Darkstar's form truly gone, everyone begins screaming and cheering. The Legendaries hug each other and cry in relief while Arceus smiles and nods proudly. The cheering goes on even when the army notices the blue orb slowly floating towards them. Small white orbs diffuse from the orb as the orb finally rests on the ground before the curious Legendaries. The orb grows smaller and smaller until a small flash of light erupts. When it disappears, the Legendaries see Raikou, Darkrai, and Ash unconscious on the ground.

"Raikou! Darkrai! Ash!" Several voices cry out. The close allies rush up to the trio and inspect them. Aside from the paleness of their skin, they were perfectly fine. They must have fainted from exhaustion. Deoxys inspects their pulses and smiles widely. "They're alive!"

Another cheer erupts and echoes in the valley. But in the minds of the unconscious chosen ones, they see a vision of a white lizard hugging a tall fox and a black qilinlike being with tears in her eyes. She turns to face the boys with the happiest smile they have ever seen.

"_Thank you so much for everything, boys."_ Crystal's voice echoes in their minds. _"I will never forget you."_

**Well, there's the war. The final chapter will be posted next. It's amazing how far this story has come. If the deaths were too graphic, then sorry. Warned you.**

**Just to keep things clear and not to get everyone confused, I will summarize all of the deaths:**

**Crystal (Dies from sacrificing her soul to save Lily)**

**Zoroark and Zorua (Killed by Eclipso)**

**Drendan (Killed by a bomb)**

**Ulrik (Killed by a bomb)**

**Eclipso (Killed by Crystal)**

**Cotton and Logan (Killed by the Exiled Legendaries)**

**Dash, Ria, and Rio (Killed by the robots)**

**Exiled Legendaries (Killed by the heroes)**

**Gallade (Killed by X'ng)**

**Lacaria (Killed by X'ng)**

**Midnight (Killed by Exiled Legendaries)**

**Ribo (Killed during a crash)**

**Violet (Killed during a crash)**

**X'ng (Killed by Team Flame)**

**Team Flame (Killed by robots)**

**Zarko (Killed by crash and gunshots)**

**Terotrey/Darkstar (Killed by the heroes' souls)**

**Other than that, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next chapter is the aftermath. It'll probably be in Raikou's POV. Comments would be appreciated.**


	40. Chapter 40: Epilogue

**Here is the final chapter. This is basically everything summarized in Raikou's point of view a few weeks after the war. This is officially the end to the story so I hope you enjoyed it!**

**New Divide**

**Chapter 40: Epilogue**

RAIKOU'S POV…

Well, everything is back to normal. Or as normal as everything can possibly get.

Darkrai, Ash, and I were passed out for three days after the war was over. Crystal's assumption was right; the spiritual orb has drained our energy heavily. As soon as we had woken up, we found ourselves in the care of the best human medics and most talented healing psychics in a security-tight base somewhere in Viridian City. It turns out that all of our friends were here and have never left the base in case something happened. The first person to see us was Arceus. He has explained what happened to us before he congratulated us for our victory. Although his eyes were filled with pride and happiness, there was a hint of sadness in his orbs.

I quickly remembered what happened during our battle with Terotrey. Everything was a blur as we joined as one in the mystical orb. It was literally like fusing every single person into that orb but it was difficult to breathe. And each attack we received felt like losing a part of ourselves; it was too painful to describe. But the worst was when we collided against Darkstar's form. Everything turned dark as soon as the pain began to overwhelm our senses. The last thing I remember seeing was Crystal happily hovering up to her mother and Zoroark before she thanks us for her help.

It is then we realized that Crystal has died during the process.

We felt so sick that I thought I was going to throw up if my throat didn't feel so tight. After Crystal has urged the spirits to heal Lily completely, it drained her energy. She was so weak that it was a miracle that she still managed to keep up with our attacks. But the last blow completely demolished her; as soon as she passed on, our orb began to deteriorate slowly. But we knew that Crystal somehow saved our lives in the process. Although we are eternally grateful for all that she has done, it doesn't ease the guilt in us for her having to sacrifice herself.

Arceus himself is upset by the loss of his daughter. But he has urged us to think of her death as not a loss, but to think of her friendship as a blessing. That is one thing that we have agreed to try working on; Crystal would personally scold us if she saw us being so sad.

The people that have suffered the most are Lily, Rocky, and Scalene. Although we are glad to see that they are still alive, it was truly agonizing to see them blaming themselves over what happened. Lily was truly grateful that her sister saved her life, but she believed that she has broken her promise to watch over her younger twin and to protect her with her life. Rocky and Scalene firmly believed that they abandoned their friends when they needed the duo at this time even though they actually helped out a great deal for the army. They have taken away several wounded and saved so many lives in the process. After the war, they continued to heal as many people as they could. They stopped after receiving the news that their allies were dead. Atsila, Bouldarin, Flame, and Raven comforted the trio as best as they could.

Darkrai, Ash, and I finally got a good look at each other and nearly fainted from shock. Our skins/fur look so pale and our bodies look unhealthily skinny. Our eyes had sags and we almost looked like corpses. The doctors have worked hard to make sure that we had enough nutrients to stay alive and constantly made sure that we had surveillance. It was by some miracle that we have made it through the first night. But because of our weakened states, the doctors insisted that we stay in their medical building for at least two weeks so they could run more tests to see if we would be fine.

Suicune, Cresselia, Dawn, Brock, and Pikachu never left us alone as the next week passes by. During this time, our only entertainment was our occasional company and checking on the news. Everyone was cleaning up the aftermaths of the battlefield and gathered as much damaged goods or bodies as they could. By the next week, everything was gone. The Legendaries took the opportunity to free some captured Pokémon from the various buildings inside the dimension and destroyed all of the machines linked in the realm. Everyone needed to make sure that this won't ever happen again. As soon as the Legendaries are sure that the entire realm was demolished, Palkia wiped the dimension away from existence with her powers.

As soon as the dimension was gone, the Legendaries set up a large memorial in the heart of the Garden of Eden. With various human reporters and families attending, Arceus makes a funeral in memory of all of their lost ones. Since we were still healing, we watched and prayed from the TV with our close allies. Several of our friends (especially Scalene and Rocky) were crying during the tender moment. The funeral took at least two hours to complete. But only known to us is Arceus' true plan. He wants the Garden of Eden to be completely empty and gone from existence. No one else needs to harbor in the island or take advantage of its wonders. It would remain floating invisible in midair forever; nothing and nobody will ever disturb it. So as soon as the guests were gone, Arceus orders all of the machines and any items to be removed immediately. It took a while to clean everything out considering how much technology Crystal and her friends put inside the tunnels, but the electric Legendaries handled the problem with very little restraint. It was by my pleas that Arceus keeps Crystal's paintings that Latias and Mew found in her private rooms. Amazed by his daughter's artistic abilities, Arceus decides to hang all the portraits in the Hall of Legends for all to see. I thought that it was a good idea to get rid of all the other unnecessary junk in the island; Crystal would have thought so too. Besides, it was all meant to help the heroes with defeating Darkstar so there was no use for the machinery anymore. Arceus made sure that all of the Pokémon living in the island have secure homes throughout the land. The only thing that the Legendaries left behind was the tall memorial that held the names of the deceased warriors. As soon as we left the island, we never saw the beautiful valley again.

Then Arceus decided that it would probably be best to wipe away the memory of everything that has happened worldwide. Based on the votes applied by the Legendaries, we all agreed that it is best that only the Legendaries and most trustworthy allies remember what happened. As soon as Darkrai, Ash, and I were out of the medical lab, we sat with our close allies as Arceus uses his ultimate power to wipe away the memories of everyone worldwide (Pokémon and humans alike). The only people who truly know of what happened are the Legendaries, Jeff, Skyler, Heatran, Atsila, Bouldarin, Rocky, Scalene, Lily, Raven, and us. Our other friends only remember everything that has happened on the day before Darkstar captured us.

After that, we were greatly surprised when Reshiram and Zekrom confronted us one last time. They have explained that the prophesy is finally fulfilled thanks to us and congratulate our victory. By using their powers, they showed us a vision of everyone in the afterlife. Compared to the warriors that were overwhelmed by pain and exhaustion, all of our friends look like they were at peace. So many happiness radiated through the vision. To our surprise, the afterlife looked just like the Valley of Origins, if not more heavenly. We saw Blackfire sitting beside Crystal, Zoroark, and Zorua as they overlook the valley under a tree over a cliff. Zoroark and Crystal smile widely as they pet Zorua as the small fox rests on Crystal's lap; they look like a genuinely happy family. The vision changes as we see the rest of our close allies. Cotton and Logan are actually skipping down the meadow while Ribo and Violet hold hands and watch the Riolu Triplets play in the water a distance away from Laki and Gallade as they cuddle. Drendan was talking with Midnight and Ulrik about something with a soft smile on his snout. Various other Pokémon were scattered around the valley and chatter with each other happily. It was truly a heavenly sight.

After displaying the vision, Reshiram and Zekrom have told us that Darkstar's spirit was completely demolished, so we have no need to fear for his return any longer. We have done our job well. They also told us that the exiled Legendaries (including Eclipso) were sent to the underworld for their crimes against the Legendary council. While X'ng was sentenced there for the rest of his afterlife, the exiles were to stay there for only a millennium since their crimes were unintentional but still blamable. We all thought that it was more than a fair punishment for our deceased families and that they would still return to the heavenly afterlife as soon as they fulfill their punishment. I could smile at the image of Eclipso reuniting with Crystal; those two love each other dearly and this time they wouldn't have to fear losing each other ever again. Although Eclipso has accepted Crystal's friendship, he has promised to be there for her regardless of whatever happens. I knows that Eclipso is a phantom of his word and believes in his promise.

After assuring us one last time that our friends are well, Reshiram and Zekrom disappear from our eyes, possibly forever. Feeling somewhat better after knowing that our friends are in a better place, we all went our separate ways.

Lily was nominated as the new Goddess-in-training of all Pokémon due to being Arceus' last heir. With her father and the Legendaries by her side, she was taught all of our rules and ways of how to keep life balanced. With Raven by her side, she quickly adapted to her new role. The Legendaries finally accepted Raven as a Legendary of Darkness and let him be the next heir as God should anything happen to Arceus. Arceus accepts his new son-in-law and knows that he will love Lily just as much as he has loved Blackfire.

Darkrai and Cresselia haven't changed much. Although the deaths of their unborn twins have emotionally scarred them for life, they let the past go as they focus on the future. The counterparts continue to work together and still cherish each other just as much as I cherish Suicune. I would still tease Darkrai every time I find out that he gets laid. In return, he would plague me with terrible or flat-out weird nightmares. I smirk at the thought. Good old times never change.

Mewtwo and Deoxys also haven't changed. They were surprisingly calm about the whole thing. Deoxys was understandably very sad when her brother was killed; it officially made her the last of her kind. Mewtwo comforted his girlfriend throughout the funeral and has tried his best to make her happy. Seeing his desperate attempts makes Deoxys somewhat amused but she appreciates his efforts and decides to focus on the future.

I was greatly surprised when Heatran was permitted to rejoin the Legendary Council. The exile himself was greatly surprised by the offer as well. After some consideration, he agreed and was promoted back into his rank. The fire Legendaries were very glad to see their comrade again and Heatran seems relieved to be back. He was a bit depressed by Drendan's death but it was understandable. Drendan was the only friend that the exile had during his hiding and nothing could ever overcome his friendship. Rejoining his oldest friends seemed to have cheered Heatran up just a tiny bit.

Jeff and Skyler have decided to join Atsila's tribe as soon as they left. I would occasionally check on Atsila and Bouldarin to see how their tribe is getting along. The adoptive brothers seem to have a stable relationship although their tribes don't seem to remember ever separating. The tribes were skeptical whenever Scalene and Rocky were around; the duo couldn't remove their cybertronic equipment so they stay as they are. The tribe leaders (with help from Jeff and Skyler) have thought of a clever story for what happened to the duo. They were captured one day by Team Rocket and were experimented on. Although the story was partially true, they didn't add anything other than that they escaped out of sheer luck. I was just glad to see Scalene and Rocky doing much better compared to during the funeral. They seem to accept that their friends' deaths weren't their fault and try to live out their lives. Scalene focuses on making wedding plans for Flame and Shadow while Bouldarin was teaching Rocky how to take over his role as the Rhyhorn clan chief. Jeff and Skyler haven't changed and would always find ways to cheer up the tribe members. They really were true friends.

Ash decides to go back home to reconcile with his friends in Pallet Town. Believing him to be gone for a long walk, his friends and Pokémon happily welcome him back in his house. Ash has decided not to tell anyone about his most recent and dangerous adventure. That is between him and us alone. We haven't heard much from the human afterwards; I only heard that he has returned to his path in becoming a Pokémon Master. I smile as I hope for the best in Ash Ketchum. He really is a good kid.

I was really surprised to hear that Team Rocket and its rivaling companies have decided to shut down. Giovanni and several of the other companies' leaders were killed in the battle but the oblivious humans believe that they went missing in action for a long time. With no other leaders to turn to, the second-in-commands decide to shut down their companies. Although this was terrific news, I couldn't help but think that it wouldn't be the same without the evil teams trying to capture us. Darkstar was one thing, but Team Rocket was a smaller issue. Another evil has been vanquished from the world.

To summarize everything in one small sentence; everything has turned out for better or worse. I just hoped that it was for the better part.

-ooo-

"Damn, kid… Do you realize how much you weigh?" Darkrai grunts.

I sigh as Darkrai holds me on his back and flies through the purple and orange sky. The phantom has done nothing but insult my weight during the last ten minutes of flying over the sunset to our destination. I just ignore him; he does this only to get to my bad side. I couldn't say anything anyways since I have two piles of flowers in my mouth. I don't want our gifts to fall.

Finally we reach to our destination and land on a beach. Darkrai huffs and stretches his back as soon as he puts me down rather ungracefully on the sand. I huff as I readjust the flowers in my mouth. As soon as he finishes stretching, he takes one pile of flowers from my mouth and we walk towards the tall slope away from the beach.

Our walk is silent as we make our way over the slope. We pause at the top of the hill to stare down at the meadow. Everything is still crisp and black from Arceus' rage a while ago but it seems that the trees and grass were starting to grow back in small bits. Black chunks and ash still lie in the meadow and it was completely deserted. No one would ever come to such a wasteland.

My ears droop as I let out a soft sigh. I feel a hand on my shoulder and see Darkrai giving me a soft smile. I smile back at him. We nod to each other before we slowly walk down the slope. We walk through the burned valley but pause when we see a figure hunched on the ground. I squint since I could barely believe my eyes. "Ash?"

The humanoid being pauses before it turns its head to look at us. The boy's eyes are wet and he looked like he had been crying. Ash blinks before he wipes his eyes and stands up to greet us. I blink when I see a handful of flowers in his hand.

"Guys… I didn't think I'd see you again…" He murmurs.

"Neither did we…" Darkrai shrugs before he looks curious. "What are you doing here…?"

"Well…" Ash rubs the back of his head bashfully. "I wanted to make an official goodbye to Crystal personally… But since the island is gone… I thought that here would be fine. This is where she and her friends trained us, remember?"

"I remember…" I smile at the memory. "That's why we're here too… To tell Crystal goodbye…"

"And to let her know that we still think of her and the others…" Darkrai adds. His voice grows quiet. "And how much we miss them…"

Ash eyes begin to tear as he smiles sadly at the two. He nods and wipes his nose. We nod before I turn to Darkrai. "Would you…?"

"Of course." Darkrai nods before he stands between Ash and me but faces nowhere in particular. We stare at the meadow for a very long time before Darkrai looks up at the sky.

"Crystal… Guys… It's us…" He starts. He pauses as he holds out his flowers to the sky. Ash and I do the same. "It's been a while since we last spoke…"

Darkrai hesitates again and clears his throat. It was obvious that he wasn't sure of where to begin with. Finally he sighs. "We finally did it… We cleaned up all of the trash that Terotrey made. Knowing you, we believed that leaving your birthplace alone would give you and the others. It wasn't easy, but we also demolished Darkstar's Realm. Everything and everyone is safe now. We don't have to worry about that bastard again." Then we place the flowers down on the dark grass and kneel down as he close our eyes and lower our heads.

Darkrai swallows before he continues. "Scalene and Rocky are doing well. In fact, I heard that Rocky has finally found a girl. Heard something about him and Flame arguing over when their weddings would be…"

I give Darkrai a strange look. I hadn't heard about that before.

"Everyone else is doing OK, based on what has been going on." Darkrai continues. He smiles a bit. "Lily and Raven have made a huge improvement with our council regulations. You would be proud of them, Crystal. And you two, Blackfire. I wish that you were all here with us to see how much things have turned out for the better…"

Darkrai pauses and licks his lips before he continues. "Crystal, I'm sure that I speak for all three of us when I say that we are grateful to have known you. You've been such a great help for us. I personally think of you as a daughter; I truly care for you. I may not have admitted it before, but I admire you. It saddened all of us when you sacrificed yourself to save us. But thank you. Thank you so much for everything that you have done. We are proud of you and we love you, Crystal. We will never forget you."

I stare at Darkrai in awe. That was pretty deep.

Darkrai then clears his throat with a tilt of his head. "And Violet, you were something else. I wasn't sure before, but I now know that you were so much like a sister to me. I will admit that I harbored a slight crush on you, but my love for Cresselia is greater. I will always see you as a friend, Violet. Regardless of how annoying or bitchy you can be sometimes, you really are amazing. Goodbye, Violet. And good luck with Ribo. Ribo, you take good care of her; you are one hell of a lucky guy to have her."

Ash and I gape at Darkrai in surprise. He really harbored a crush on Violet? When did this start? Although in a way, it made some sense with how they acted around each other. Sometimes they were at each other's throats but other times they were almost tender with each other.

"Gallade and Laki, we haven't said much to each other, but I want you to know that I also admire you two. Care for each other as Cresselia and I do. And take good care of those triplets; you all make quite a family."

Darkrai sighs as he looks up at the sky. "Everyone, I know that Arceus has already said this. But I want you to know that we are eternally grateful for your noble sacrifices. We will always think of you and hold you to our hearts as we carry on with our lives. Hopefully, when our time comes, we will all be reunited in the afterlife. Somehow I know deep down that we will see each other again. But now is not the time. Not yet. We still have so much work to do down here; we will be working on that future we have fought so long for. I promise we will do our best. Goodbye, our friends. And thank you again… For everything."

Darkrai finally ends his speech and lowers his head to stare at the ground. I place a paw on his shoulder and smile tearfully at him. "Darkrai… That was really deep… Especially from you."

"Yeah…" Darkrai sighs before he removes my paw and stands up. He wipes his eyes before he glares at me. "But don't think that means I've grown too soft!"

Ash and I smirk at him. "Sure… Whatever you say, Darkrai."

Then we all stand up and start to turn away. We pause when we feel a large gust of wind blowing through our bodies. Instantly knowing that this wasn't usually a good sign, I sigh irritably. "Now what?"

"_**Only a thank you, my friends..."**_ An angelic voice says softly. We freeze and turn around to see a qilinlike being staring at us with glowing gold eyes. Her fur is snow-white while her hooves have black flame patterns leading up from her upper legs. Her stomach is black from her neck down to the tip of her tail. She has a glowing silver horn on her forehead. Her fur seems to be flowing even though there was no wind around the heroes.

But her gold eyes have alarmed the heroes. She looks to be smiling through her facial expression.

I gape at the being before us. "You… Are you…?"

The being doesn't say anything. It only nods once before it stares down at the heroes once more. Then it throws its head back and lets out a graceful roar. A gust of wind blows through her form and her ghostly appearance disappears in a puff of white sparkles. We shiver at the cool sensation but we are too stunned by what we just saw.

"… Crystal…" Ash murmurs as the gust of wind disappears. We look up and see a star glittering above the now dark purple sky. We stare at it for a very long time before we glance at each other and smile a bit. Ash then turns to walk away without looking back at us. As soon as he is out of sight, Darkrai and I walk back to the beach. We ignore the flowers' petals flowing gently through the air as they land in the water of the sea as we start heading home.

To our friends…

To our families…

To our future…

To our new destiny…

**The End**

**WHOOOOOO! THE STORY IS FINALLY OVER! YAY! **

**Well, this is both good and bad in a way. I had fun with making this story; it's so sad that it had to end! But as such, all good stories have to come to an end at some point. But I must say that this is possibly the best story that I have or ever will write. I am proud by how it has turned out. I'll go as far as to say that it is much better than my PMD4 series! After about two years of working hard on this, it's finally done! I honestly cannot believe it…**

**I thank all the fans for supporting me with this story. I especially thank Glory For Sleep for giving me the honor of working on it. GFS, it's been so much fun working on this. I hope that you love how it turned out just as much as I did.**

**This is probably the last Pokémon story that I will ever write. I might make some one-shots based on this and the PMD4 series. I'll debate on it, but it depends. I'll be working on my other two stories or make some fan art in DeviantArt in the meantime.**

**To finalize some things. Yes, you can make stories regarding **_**New Divide**_**. But there are restrictions. One; ask me and Glory first. We must hear of your plot depending on what it is about. If it concerns either of our OCs, then you must ask first. But please; NO SEQUELS! I cannot express myself enough with this; **_**New Divide**_** will not have any sequel! This is the end (Unless Glory has anything to say about it)! Side stories/alternate stories are acceptable but it depends on what you are asking for. Fan art is also acceptable as long as it doesn't express hate or as long as you ask us for permission.**

**Thanks again for the support, everyone! Farewell! I shall put my focus onto the other stories!**

**Please leave a comment on what you think!**


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